Thangka of Buddha Maitreya
Eastern Tibet, 18th Century
Central figure of the Buddha Maitreya painted in gold and seated in padmasana on an elaborate lotus throne supported by elephants and mythical beasts, his hands in dharmachakra mudra holding a lotus-stalk supporting a kundika, surrounded by bodhisattvas standing or seated on lotus-throne clouds with names written in Tibetan script, all in a green landscape with rivers and mountains
33¼ x 21 in. (84.3 x 53.2 cm.)
Provenance
Acquired on a French expedition ot Ladakh and Zanskar, 1950s
Lot Essay
The central figure at the top of this thangka is an unidentified Karmapa seated on cushions, suggesting that this work was likely commissioned during his lifetime.