TIBETO-CHINESE, 15TH CENTURY

Details

A rare thangka of a protector deity
Tibeto-Chinese, 15th century
The principle deity seated on a horse over a lotus base at center holding a yellow flag aloft, dressed in heavy robes and adorned with a garland of severed heads, the face with bared fangs, bulging eyes, and flaming beard and brows surmounted by a foliate tiara, backed by a flaming aureole amid a clouded sky, with Tsongkhapa and two teachers above, Blue and White Achala at left and right, Humkara below, with Ushnisha Chakravartin in the lower left corner and Hayagriva in the lower right
28¾ x 22¾ in. (70.4 x 57.6 cm.)

Provenance

Private Collection, France
Collection of Perret Vibert, Paris
Collection of E. Lingero, Brussels, 1920s
Private Collection, Europe, 1978

Lot Essay

The central deity seated on the horse may be identified as Du Gyal, meaning King of Demons in Tibetan. Du Gyal is one of two special protectors for the popular meditational deity Vajrakila of the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The diaper border is characteristic of thangkas of the Yongle, Xuande, and Chenghua periods, and this painting most likely dates from the latter period. The scrollwork on the base is a particularly striking feature and superbly executed.

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