A BLACK GROUND THANGKA OF MAHAKALA

拍品描述

A BLACK GROUND THANGKA OF MAHAKALA Tibet, 19th to first half of the 20th century. Distemper on cloth. The painting depicts the central wrathful deity seated on a throne, wearing a crown and a tiger skin, flanked by demons and other figures. The sides and lower register portray various scenes representing different aspects of the Buddhist pantheon, offerings, and the cosmic struggle between wisdom and ignorance. In the upper register, Buddha Sakyamuni is seated, his right hand lowered in varada mudra and his left resting on his lap, flanked by Bodhisattvas, devotees, and attendants. Dimensions: Image size 87.5 x 64 cm Nakthang or black ground painting originated in Tibet in the fourteenth century and is based on the Indian tantric paradigm of charnal ground ashes used to create black painted surfaces for the depiction of wrathful deities. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 12 September 2012, lot 566 Price: USD 12,500 or approx. EUR 15,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related black-ground and motif of Mahakala. Note the smaller size (33.7 x 28.3 cm), and earlier dating.

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