27th Jun, 2025 11:00
Fine Asian Art Summer Sale
38
A THANGKA OF PADMASAMBHAVA, BHUTAN, 18TH CENTURY
Sold for €3,900
including Buyer's Premium
Distemper and gold on cloth, with silk mounting. Guru Rinpoche is seated in dhyanasana on a cushion before a chalice, a ghanta and an ewer, holding a kapala in his left hand while his right is raised in vitarka mudra, wearing layered colorful robes and his characteristic hat with prominent wing-like side pieces and a vajra protruding from the crown, backed by an ornate mandorla, flanked by two attendant monks and surrounded by bodhisattvas, teachers, and adepts in the upper and central registers, and a group of nine protective deities centered by Palden Lhamo in the lower register.
Provenance: From a German private collection.
Condition: Fair condition with old wear, light creasing, soiling, small losses to pigments, minor touchups, few small repairs. The silk mounting with tears, minor losses, and loose threads.
Dimensions: Image size 48 x 37.5 cm, Size incl. frame 96 x 73.6 cm
Padmasambhava (lit. 'lotus-born'), known as Guru Rinpoche in Tibet and Bhutan, is regarded as the teacher who founded the Nyingma order and introduced the people of Tibet to the practice of Tantric Buddhism. Tradition has it that he lived from 717 to 762, and was invited by King Tisong Detsen to subdue local deities so that construction of the first Buddhist monastery at Samye could proceed. He has been continuously and widely venerated throughout the region, and became especially popular in the early Qing dynasty under the influence of the Manchu court.
Guru Rinpoche is a highly revered figure in Bhutan, credited with introducing and firmly establishing Vajrayana Buddhism in the region during the 8th century. His influence is profound, with numerous monasteries, temples, and sacred sites dedicated to his legacy, such as the iconic Taktsang Monastery (Tiger's Nest) in Paro, believed to be where he meditated and subdued negative forces. His teachings and hidden treasure texts (terma), to be discovered at the proper time by future masters, form the foundation of Bhutanese spiritual life.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related Bhutanese thangka of Jigme Sengge, dated to the late 18th century, in the Asia Society Museum, New York, inventory number 912/745.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 13 March 2017, lot 3041
Price: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 46,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A thangkya of a Nyingma Dorje Linpa lineage holder, Bhutan, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the related manner of painting and color palette. Note the size (67.5 x 45 cm).
Distemper and gold on cloth, with silk mounting. Guru Rinpoche is seated in dhyanasana on a cushion before a chalice, a ghanta and an ewer, holding a kapala in his left hand while his right is raised in vitarka mudra, wearing layered colorful robes and his characteristic hat with prominent wing-like side pieces and a vajra protruding from the crown, backed by an ornate mandorla, flanked by two attendant monks and surrounded by bodhisattvas, teachers, and adepts in the upper and central registers, and a group of nine protective deities centered by Palden Lhamo in the lower register.
Provenance: From a German private collection.
Condition: Fair condition with old wear, light creasing, soiling, small losses to pigments, minor touchups, few small repairs. The silk mounting with tears, minor losses, and loose threads.
Dimensions: Image size 48 x 37.5 cm, Size incl. frame 96 x 73.6 cm
Padmasambhava (lit. 'lotus-born'), known as Guru Rinpoche in Tibet and Bhutan, is regarded as the teacher who founded the Nyingma order and introduced the people of Tibet to the practice of Tantric Buddhism. Tradition has it that he lived from 717 to 762, and was invited by King Tisong Detsen to subdue local deities so that construction of the first Buddhist monastery at Samye could proceed. He has been continuously and widely venerated throughout the region, and became especially popular in the early Qing dynasty under the influence of the Manchu court.
Guru Rinpoche is a highly revered figure in Bhutan, credited with introducing and firmly establishing Vajrayana Buddhism in the region during the 8th century. His influence is profound, with numerous monasteries, temples, and sacred sites dedicated to his legacy, such as the iconic Taktsang Monastery (Tiger's Nest) in Paro, believed to be where he meditated and subdued negative forces. His teachings and hidden treasure texts (terma), to be discovered at the proper time by future masters, form the foundation of Bhutanese spiritual life.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related Bhutanese thangka of Jigme Sengge, dated to the late 18th century, in the Asia Society Museum, New York, inventory number 912/745.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 13 March 2017, lot 3041
Price: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 46,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A thangkya of a Nyingma Dorje Linpa lineage holder, Bhutan, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the related manner of painting and color palette. Note the size (67.5 x 45 cm).
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