A VERY RARE 'TWENTY-ONE IMAGES OF GREEN TARA' THANGKA, TIBET, 17TH-18TH CENTURY, EX ULRICH VON SCHROEDER

Expert’s note: The composition presents a rare and compelling interpretation of the Twenty-One Taras, centered on Green Tara, the Remover of All Fears. Distinctively, the attendant Taras are likewise depicted in green, unified by radiant halos and aureoles rendered in a spectrum of luminous hues.

Gold and distemper on cloth. The central deity in princely attire depicted seated in the lalitasana (royal ease) atop a lotus pedestal, the pendant foot resting on a large blossom, holding a lotus sprig in each hand. The figure is surrounded by a pantheon of twenty green Taras, each in similar regalia and adorned with intricately detailed gold jewelry shaped like foliage, the right hand lowered and held in abhaya mudra and the left raised to the chest, delicately holding the stem of a lotus, which comes to bloom at the shoulder.

The central deity with a serene expression, her warm features delicately rendered, and eyes cast downward. Red dots highlight her hair and necklace, evoking coral beads—an effect mirrored by the actual coral shown on the offering plate before her. Resting on a pink lotus, the plate holds ivory, two pairs of red ornaments, and a gold flask, each rendered with exquisite care.

Mounted as a hanging scroll on a fine kesi silk brocade frame decorated with leafy lotus scroll and the Eight Auspicious Emblems (bajixiang).

Provenance: The Ulrich von Schroeder Collection, acquired in 2014. The dowel with a label from the Ulrich von Schroeder Collection, inscribed ‘2014 05’. A distinguished art historian and collector, Ulrich von Schroeder (b. 1943) is one of the most influential figures in the study of Himalayan art. Inspired by his great-great-uncle, the Indologist Leopold von Schroeder, he first traveled to Nepal at age 22, initiating a lifelong commitment to the study and documentation of Himalayan artistic traditions. Frustrated by the inconsistent dating and stylistic attributions in art publications of the 1960s and 1970s, von Schroeder undertook a rigorous four-year study that culminated in the 1981 publication of Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, the first comprehensive chronology of Tibetan metal sculpture. This was followed by his two-volume magnum opus, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet (2001), documenting over 1,000 bronzes in previously inaccessible monasteries, and Nepalese Stone Sculptures (2019), a monumental survey of nearly 3,000 Hindu and Buddhist stone sculptures in Nepal. To this day, von Schroeder’s publications remain the only reliable encyclopedias on their subjects.
Condition: Very good condition with wear, minor soiling, few water stains, little creasing, scattered flaking to pigments, few minuscule losses, and fraying to edges. Possibly with minor touchups to the green pigment. The kesi mounting in excellent condition with traces of use to the red backing; the silk veil with minor soiling and tiny tears near the top.

Dimensions: Image size 84.5 x 61 cm, Size incl. mounting 170 x 110 cm

This finely mounted thangka displays a lively harmony of vivid orange and lush green hues, illustrating the revered Tibetan Buddhist theme of the Twenty-One Taras. Short, assured brushstrokes articulate trees along the mountain ridges, while white clouds subtly shaded in blue frame the central Tara and the surrounding landscape, reflecting a classic Tibetan style that emerged in the 17^th century as Chinese influences became increasingly prominent. A particularly engaging and unexpected detail is the discreet depiction of a rabbit (fig. 1), delicately rendered in gray against the silver moon. Referencing a Buddhist Jataka tale, this motif—long established within East Asian mythology—adds a layer of symbolic resonance and enhances the painting’s visual charm.

From the tantra known as the 'Twenty-One Praises of Tara' spoken by the Buddha Samantabhadra arises the system of practice with Twenty-one Tara emanations - one for each verse of praise. Each form of Tara has a specific color and accomplishes a specific activity. Based on that, there are three well known and distinct lineages for the different sets of Twenty-one Taras: Pandita Suryagupta, Lord Atisha, and from the compendium of practices called the the Sadhanasamucchaya. The three lineages do not share the same iconographic forms and, furthermore, there are numerous offshoot traditions with countless variations.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related, later Eastern Tibetan thangka similarly depicting twenty-one Green Taras, dated to the 19^th century, in the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, object number 51-4-123.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 18 September 2013, lot 35
Price: USD 50,000 or approx. EUR 58,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A thangka of Red Tara, Tibet, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the related subject and composition, similarly depicting twenty-one forms of Tara albeit in a more common iconography with no Green Taras. Note the size (67.3 x 47 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3043
Price: USD 37,500 or approx. EUR 41,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A thangka of Khasarpana Lokeshvara, Central Tibet, Lhasa style, 18^th century
Expert remark: Compare the related manner of painting with similar treatment of the clouds, lotus petals, and blue sky. Note the size (70.6 x 46 cm).