A THANGKA OF TSONGKHAPA, GYALTSABJE AND KHEDRUBJE, CENTRAL TIBET, 18TH-19TH CENTURY
Lot 340 - FAS1025

Distemper and gold on cloth. Seated in dhyanasana on a lotus base with his hands in dharmachakra mudra, clad in heavy robes and flanked by lotus blossoms at the shoulder supporting the sword and book, the face with a serene expression, the head surmounted by a pointed cap and backed by a nimbus, all within a verdant landscape.

Tsongkhapa is flanked by his two spiritual sons, Gyaltsabje and Khedrubje, below White and Green Tara, and Akshobhya Buddha and a three-headed deity. The upper register with the Buddha Amitabha and two bodhisattvas within a palatial compound, flanked by two lamas. The lower register with Ushnishavijaya and two further bodhisattvas as well as a monk, below a table with ritual vessels.

Provenance: From the Estate of Edith and Joel Frankel, New York, United States. E & J Frankel was a major New York gallery specializing in Asian Art since 1967. Run by Edith (1939-2012) and Joel Frankel (1937-2018), it was one of the oldest galleries in the United States focusing exclusively on Asian art. Leaders in their field, the Frankels traveled the world in search of Asian art treasures and educated the general public about their shared passion. Their gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City became a local institution, best known for its regular schedule of innovative thematic exhibitions, and frequently visited by the biggest names in the field, such as Eskenazi, Ellsworth, Junkunc, and the Alsdorfs.
Condition: Good condition with old wear, soiling, light creasing, little flaking to pigments, minor fraying to edges. Possibly with minor touch-ups.

Dimensions: Size 53.5 x 37 cm

Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) is the founder of the Gelug order of Tibetan Buddhism, the “newest” of the extant schools. Tsongkhapa studied the traditions of the Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyü, and particularly Kadam lineages, and codified certain principles of all of them in the Gelug tradition. Today, the order is the most popularly followed in Tibet, with its head, the Dalai Lama, seen as the spiritual leader of the country. The Gelug tradition is also known as the Yellow Hat Sect, for the color of their pointed caps, and Tsongkhapa can often be identified by the hat as well as the sword and manuscript which sit in lotus blossoms at his shoulders.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 15 March 2016, lot 224
Price: USD 8,125 or approx. EUR 9,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A painting of Tsongkhapa, Tibet, 19^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject as well as the related manner of painting. Note the size (65.4 x 41.2 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 14 September 2015, lot 25
Price: USD 9,375 or approx. EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A thangka of Tsongkhapa, Central Tibet, 18^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject as well as the related manner of painting. Note the size (50.7 x 38 cm).