AN EXCEPTIONALLY FINE THANGKA OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI AND CLASSIC BUDDHIST TEACHING STORIES, NEW MENRI STYLE, TIBET, 18TH CENTURY

Expert’s note:
This painting belongs to a set of thirty-nine paintings depicting all one-hundred-and-eight classic teaching stories (known as rtogs brjod in Tibetan or avadana in Sanskrit). An inscription translating to ‘fourteen, right’ on the verso of the top dowel, indicates this painting's orientation within the set of thirty-nine.

Finely painted with Buddha seated in dhyanasana atop a lotus cushion, his hands held in the teaching gesture known as dharmachakra mudra, backed by a shimmering mandorla and circular halo, surrounded by three scenes illustrating classic Buddhist stories from the Avadana compendium. Smaller figures of Buddha are surrounded by monks and teachers within temple compounds, along with further scenes depicting Buddhist deities, lamas and monks, animals, and mythical beasts, all within a verdant landscape. Three red trilobed vignettes are inscribed in Tibetan with gold letters, with a further inscription on one of the temple walls.


Inscriptions:
To the top dowel on the reverse, ‘fourteen, right’.


Provenance:
From the collection of Ethelbert Tryba, acquired in Kathmandu, Nepal in 1966, and thence by descent. A copy of a personal letter from Tryba, written from Peshawar to his wife during his travels, in which he describes a recent purchase of a Gandharan statue in Peshawar as well as his impending trip to Kathmandu, accompanies this lot. Ethelbert Tryba (1928-1995) was born in Chicago, Illinois. During his life, he traveled throughout Central and Southeast Asia establishing trade ties for his company. During one particularly trying trip described in a personal letter, Tryba began collecting objects from antique shops in Pakistan, Northern India, and Nepal.

Condition:
Good original condition with some wear, slight creasing, soiling, light abrasions, few tiny losses. The brocade mounting with minor tears and losses.

Dimensions: Image size 85.8 x 53.2 cm, Size incl. brocade mounting 164 x 94 cm

Distemper and gold on cloth, with a silk brocade frame and mounted as a hanging scroll.


Striking in its clarity and vibrancy
, this thangka is an outstanding example of the New Menri style of Tsang which originated at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama and the traditional monastic seat of the Panchen Lama) in the 17th century by the hand of
Choying Gyatso
. The naturalistic clouds, rendered in blue and green, are hallmarks of this tradition, as is the placement of these clouds along the architectural elements that cover the landscape. Despite this painting’s age, the gold inscriptions identifying each scene are only lightly abraded.


Literature comparison:

Compare a Tibetan-Chinese thangka depicting Buddha Shakyamuni with scenes from his life, dated to the 18th century, in the Nelson-Atkins Museum, object number 35-230/1.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 March 2018, lot 310
Price: USD 47,500 or approx.
EUR 53,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large and very fine Thangka depicting Shakyamuni Buddha and two classic Buddhist teaching stories, Avadana, Tibet, 18th century
Expert remark: This lot is a part of the same thirty-nine-painting set and is number 19 in the set. Compare the similar central Buddha in the same pose surrounded by life narratives. Note the size (101.9 x 59.6 cm).




十八世紀西藏釋迦牟尼源流唐卡


布面膠畫，錦緞裝幀，掛軸。精美描繪了佛陀結跏趺坐坐在蓮座上，雙手結説法印，以釋迦牟尼佛為中心，佛身被光環圍繞，外緣飾有華麗的六靈捧座的唐卡，在由金翅鳥、龍女、摩羯巨鰲、孩童、祥麟、巨象組成，講述藏傳佛教的修行故事。三個紅色三葉小圖案，用藏文刻有金色字母。這幅畫屬於一組三十九幅畫，描繪了所有一百零八個經典修行故事（藏語稱為“rtogs brjod”，梵語稱為“avadana”）。


款識：
反面頂部銘文翻譯為“十四，右”，表明這幅畫在三十九組中的方向。


來源：
Ethelbert Tryba收藏，1966 年在尼泊爾加德滿都購得，傳承至今。該拍品還附有Tryba在旅行期間從白沙瓦寫給妻子的一封私人信件副本，其中描述了他在白沙瓦購買的犍陀羅雕像以及他即將前往加德滿都的行程。Ethelbert Tryba （1928-1995）出生於伊利諾伊州芝加哥。 一生中他走遍了中亞和東南亞，為他的公司建立了貿易聯繫。在一封私人信件中描述的一次特別艱難的旅行中，Tryba開始從巴基斯坦、印度北部和尼泊爾的古董店收集物品。

品相：
原始狀況良好，有一些磨損、輕微摺痕、污垢、擦傷、微小缺損。錦緞上有輕微的撕裂和缺損。

尺寸：畫面85.8 x 53.2 厘米，總164 x 94 厘米


文獻比較:

比較一件十八世紀漢藏釋迦牟尼唐卡，收藏於Nelson-Atkins博物館，館藏編號35-230/1。


拍賣比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2018年3月21日，lot 310
價格：USD 47,500（相當今日
EUR 53,500
）
描述：西藏十八世紀釋迦牟尼佛教譬喻兩故事唐卡
專家註釋：此唐卡為一組39張唐卡的編號19號。比較相似的佛坐中央被生活敘事所包圍。請注意尺寸 (101.9 x 59.6 厘米)。