A thangka of White Tara


18th centuryDistemper on cloth, depicting White Tara with a red halo in the centre seated in lalitasana on a lotus throne, surrounded by lush green foliage and blooming flowers and fruits as well as the Four Guardian deities, Buddha, and a Lama, consecrated on the reverse with handprints.45cm (17 6/8in) high x 29cm (11 1/2in) wide.
|十八世紀 彩繪白度母唐卡Provenance: Navin Kumar, ParisFournier Collection, ParisA European private collection, acquired from the above in the 1980's來源：巴黎古董商Navin Kumar巴黎Fournier收藏歐洲私人收藏，於1980年代購自上者The present thangka probably belongs to a set of twenty-one depictions of Tara according to the Atisha Lineage, which arose from the 'Twenty-one Praises of Tara' tantra spoken by the Buddha Samantabhadra. Each Tara had a specific colour and accomplishes a specific activity. Tara is a completely enlightened Buddha who, in a previous life, promised to appear as a female bodhisattva for the benefit of all beings. In this white form, the deity bestows longevity and health and her practices are found in both the Nyingma traditions and the new Sarma schools of Tantric Buddhism.Compare with a thangka depicting the White Tara, 18th century, from the Rubin Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.F1997.23.4), illustrated in Himalayan Art Resources, no.339.