A THANGKA OF SHERAB CHAMMA, TIBET, 18TH CENTURYDistemper and gilt on cloth. Depicting Sherab Chamma at the center, seated in dhyanasana on a cushioned throne, her right hand holding an amrita vase at the chest, the left hand with a mirror, backed by a circular halo, surrounded by numerous seated and standing deities.Provenance: The Richard & Magdalena Ernst Collection of Himalayan Art. Sotheby’s New York, 22 March 2018, lot 957, estimate of USD 10,000 or approx.EUR 10,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Richard Robert Ernst (1933-2021) was a Swiss physical chemist and Nobel Laureate. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1991 for his contributions towards the development of Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy while at Varian Associates and ETH Zurich. He humbly referred to himself as a "tool-maker" rather than a scientist. Besides toiling with his work, Ernst also enjoyed music and art, specifically Tibetan paintings. Using scientific techniques, Ernst would research the pigments on the scrolls to learn about their geographic origin and age.Condition: Good condition with some wear, little creasing, minor losses, staining, and water damage to the right. Minimal touch-.Dimensions: Image size 74 x 49.5 cm, Size incl. mounting 90.7 x 65 cmSherab Chamma (Loving Mother of Wisdom) is the principal meditational form of Satrig Ersang, one of the Four Transcendent Lords and a female deity of the Bon religion. She is usually depicted either as a single subject in aposition or she has numerous surrounding attendant figures.Literatureparison:Compare a related thangka of Sherab Chamma, 19th century, Tibet, in the Rubin Museum of Art, object number C2005.4.7.十八世紀西藏希繞強瑪唐卡布面膠彩描金。希繞強瑪結跏趺坐端坐在寶座上，右手捧甘露瓶於胸前，左手執鏡，背有圓形光背，周圍環繞著無數本尊。