84 x 70 cm R. Condition A VERY RARE THANGKA OF LOCHEN RINCHEN ZANGPO 'The Great Translator', Central/Western Tibet, late 11th to 1st half 12th ct., "You, the unparalleled great translator, appear to me like a second Buddha. Your wisdom and attainment are inseparable, a true Dharmatala-I respectfully bow to you!" Lines in black ink on the reverse show the high esteem in which one famous figure of West Tibet-Rinchen Zangpo-was held. Rinchen Zangpo (tib. rin chen bzang po, 958-1055)-The Great Translator-was essential for the resurgence of the second blossoming period of Buddhism in the kingdom of Guge (West Tibet). In his day, the last Tsenpo of Tibet, Lang Darma (836-842 or 841-846 acc. to some sources), was responsible for the severe persecution of Buddhism. Pelgyi Dorje of Lhalung, one of the 25 disciples of Padmasambhava assassinated him, dressed as a Bon priest. Lang Darma's oldest son soon ruled Mar-yul (Ladakh), while his younger brothers ruled West Tibet. They founded the state of Guge and Puran. One descendant of this brothers, Tsenpo Yeshe ?, a Buddhist monk, invited the scholar Atisha (980-1154) to Guge, which started the so-called Second Propagation of the Buddhist teachings, along with the period of the New Translations of Buddhist texts from Sanskrit into Tibetan. Under Yeshe ?'s reign, the opulently furnished monastery Tholing-Guge's religious centre-was founded and Rinchen Zangpo installed as its abbot. Rinchen was one of 21 young men who were staying in India and Cashmere by order of Yeshe ?. For seventeen years he conducted his studies of Buddhism there. After returning home, Rinchen earned the honorary title of Lotsawa for translating and annotating about 158 Buddhist texts from Sanskrit into Tibetan with some help of assistants. His main work includes translations of the texts of the Prajnaparamita and Tantra teachings. He is also said to have built more than 100 temples and monasteries as well as stupas. Of these, Alchi, Tabo, Tsaparang and Lamayuru (?, Ladakh) monasteries deserve special mention. Rinchen Zangpo promoted and enlisted artists, thereby fostering the development of wall painting in West Tibet. At 85, being the highest ranked priest and abbot of the Tholing monastery, he met the scholar Atisha, who instructed him in the teachings of Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism.This thangka serves as a piece of unique historical testimony as one of very few depictions of the Great Scholar and Translator, at best surviving in wall paintings in famous monasteries (e.g. Alchi). Despite partial damage due to age and usage, this painting radiates warmth and tranquility, with density and concentration. Compared to a wall painting of the Great Scholar at Alchi, this depiction seems like the portrait of an old and wise personality. It reveals mindfulness, Rinchen's eyes purposefully look ahead, his fingers exhibiting the Dharmachakra mudra in delicate motion, "turning the wheel of the Dharma"). Like an immovable rock, he sits completely still in the diamond position (Vajrasana) on a white moon lotus. The soles of his feet face upwards. The usual coat of erudite monks is softly wrapped around his body in a lavish volute pattern. Underneath he wears the traditional monk's garb. His gloriole radiates brightly. To his sides, Rinchen Zangpo is accompanied by two Bodhisattvas, Padmapani (?) of white skin, and Maitreya (?) of yellow iconographic skin colour, standing in a pala manner. Above them, an arching dual aureole gives the image's centre a dignified atmosphere. In equal manner and position, (probably) a teacher in his line of transmission sits on a throne. Numerous deities, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Mahasiddhas, and Lamas are spread across the painting ground of the reverence image. A more detailed description of these figures can be found in the catalogue "Weisheit und Liebe", see bibliographic note. Published in: Rhie, Marylin M. and Thurman, Robert A.F.: Weisheit und Liebe, 1000 Jahre Kunst des tibetischen Buddhismus [Wisdom and Love, 1000 Years of Tibetan Buddhist Art], published on occasion of the eponymous exhibition at the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic, Bonn, and other places, Du Mont, Cologne, 1996: 438-439/191 (60a). To be compared with: Pal, Pratapaditya: A Buddhist Paradise-The Murals of Alchi, Western Himalayas, Lilakala AG, Vaduz, 1982: fig. LL2. Tucci, Giuseppe: Rin-chen-Bzang-po and the Renaissance of Buddhism in Tibet around the Millennium. Aditya Prakashan, New Delhi, 1988 (first published in Italian, Rome, 1932).As with every only fragmentarily extant wall painting in Central Asia, one's perception is immediately focused on the essentials, the beauty and expression of the visible. The loss-the no longer visible-does not carry any weight. Thus, the ephemerality of these apparitions achieves its own relevance and validity. Tempera on cotton cloth; minor damage due to age. (Protocol of preliminary conservation measures available), Reverse: Inscription in black ink.