A TIBETAN, PROBABLY NGOR MONASTERY, THANG-KA DEPICTING GRAGS.RGYAL.MTSHEN, seated in vajrasana on a lotus, placed on a throne with a pair of peacocks in the front, both hands in dharmacakramudra and holding the ghanta and vajra, wearing various garments, decorated with flower-heads and clouds, his face with serene and benign expression, beard, moustache and curly hairdress, halo and aureol behind, flanked by a pair of shaped pillars issuing from kalasas, with flowers and a pair of birds, shaped arched nimbus behind, with Amitabha and Amitayus at head level, surrounded by thirty-six deities and lamas, with their names written in gold dBu-can script below, four additional figures of Amitayus, the red side borders with gilt flowers, a gilt dBu-can inscription at lower border, the reverse with tiered triangle of black dBu-can inscriptions and mantras, blue silk mounting below and above the last with his name in black dBu-can script, lacquered red pole, circa A.D. 1600

Details

A TIBETAN, PROBABLY NGOR MONASTERY, THANG-KA DEPICTING GRAGS.RGYAL.MTSHEN, seated in vajrasana on a lotus, placed on a throne with a pair of peacocks in the front, both hands in dharmacakramudra and holding the ghanta and vajra, wearing various garments, decorated with flower-heads and clouds, his face with serene and benign expression, beard, moustache and curly hairdress, halo and aureol behind, flanked by a pair of shaped pillars issuing from kalasas, with flowers and a pair of birds, shaped arched nimbus behind, with Amitabha and Amitayus at head level, surrounded by thirty-six deities and lamas, with their names written in gold dBu-can script below, four additional figures of Amitayus, the red side borders with gilt flowers, a gilt dBu-can inscription at lower border, the reverse with tiered triangle of black dBu-can inscriptions and mantras, blue silk mounting below and above the last with his name in black dBu-can script, lacquered red pole, circa A.D. 1600
79 x 67 cm

Lot Essay

On the upper of upper silk mounting is written, Grags.pa.rgyal.mtshen, nr. 6, left (side of series).

The dedicating inscription at bottom on the red border can be freely translated as follows:
Reverence to Grags.pa.rgyal.mtshen, who acquired insight in himself through all doctrines, knows many secrets and is honourable to all honest people. Oh, doing reference to the assembly of deities of Lama Brgyud.pa of the rDo.nag.po, I take refuge in them and pray all times to follow their teaching.

The inscription on the reverse is similarly to the inscription of the previous lot.

The thirty-six surrounding figures representing, from the upper left-hand corner:

1. kun.dgah.snin.po (1092-1158) 19. ri.khrod.lo.mcan
2. gsal.bahi.snin.po (11th C.) 20. rnam.rgyal
3. santa.ba.ra 21. sgrol.ma
4. xx.med.ma 22. sgrol.ma
5. Vajradhara (no inscription) 23. rta.mgrin
6. dam. tshig.rdo.rje 24. ses.rab.kge.srol.du.phygen.ma
7. 'gos.lo.ca 25. 'zdam.dpal
8. sgye.chu.ba 26. spyan.ras.gzigs
9. bsod.nams.rce.mo (1142-1182) 27. phyag.na.rdo
10. ston.pa.mdon.mgyen.rgyal.po 28. lha.bcas.'gro.bahi.mchog.gyur.
mi.e.sin.ge.rgyal
11. illegible 29. 'drin.chog
12. illegible 30. kun.dgah.dbal.phyug
13. bla.ma.xx.rgyal.pa 31. rin.chen
14. bzan.sgrogsxpa 32. dpal.ldan.don.grub
15. dkon.mchog.dpal.ldan (late 33. dga.ston.gzon.tshal
13th C.)
16. kun.mkhyed 34. xx.bzang.dpal
17. rgyal.sras.sangs.rgyas.rin.chen 35. grags.pa (1147-1216)
18. xx..dngos.sku.gsu.lhun.gyes 36. ston.pa.chos.grags.rgya.mtsho
grub
19. ri.khrod.lo.mcan

Most names end with la.na.mo, which is an expression of salutation.

According to the Blue Annals by G.N. Roerich, Delhi, reprint 1979, p. 211, Grags.pa.rgyal.mtshen was born in A.D. 1147. When he was twenty-six he took up the abbatial seat of the Sa.skya monastery until his death in A.D. 1216

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
35 36 10 11
34 12
33 13
32 14
31 15
30 16
29 17
28 18
27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19

See colour illustration

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