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Lot Essay
The present work belongs to a small corpus of Tibetan paintings depicting the life scenes of Buddha Shakyamuni (compare with a painting sold at Christie's New York on 18 September 2013, lot 267). In these paintings, the central focus of the work is the Buddha's moment of enlightenment at the site of Bodh Gaya in Northeastern India. Bodh Gaya was an important Buddhist center during the reign of the Pala Empire, as it was centrally located within the empire's borders. Much of Pala Buddhist art focused on the moment of enlightenment, both due to its importance in the life of Buddha as well as its local connotations. The Buddhist monasteries and universities of the Pala period had an enormous impact on Tibetan Buddhism, and it is likely the emphasis on the moment of awakening found in these paintings is a product of Indian influence.
The scenes progress in roughly chronological order starting from the top right corner. The Buddha is shown teaching in the Tushita Heaven before he is encouraged to descend to the mortal realm and preach for the masses. His mother's dream of a white elephant entering her side is depicted, a metaphor for his conception, as is his birth under the boughs of a tree. Siddhartha is shown sitting on his father's lap while sages prophesize he will become either a mighty king or a Buddha. The scenes from his youth include his first meditation, archery and wrestling contests, and life in the palace. Later, after he has discovered the harsh realities of the world, he is shown departing the palace on his horse Kanthaka, giving away his princely garb, and cutting his hair. As previously mentioned, the important moment of his awakening is shown centrally, with Mara's daughters and armies attempting to distract Buddha from his enlightenment, before the scenes from his life as a teacher continue up the left side of the painting. His death, known as the parinirvana, and cremation are shown on the right side of the register at top.
The scenes progress in roughly chronological order starting from the top right corner. The Buddha is shown teaching in the Tushita Heaven before he is encouraged to descend to the mortal realm and preach for the masses. His mother's dream of a white elephant entering her side is depicted, a metaphor for his conception, as is his birth under the boughs of a tree. Siddhartha is shown sitting on his father's lap while sages prophesize he will become either a mighty king or a Buddha. The scenes from his youth include his first meditation, archery and wrestling contests, and life in the palace. Later, after he has discovered the harsh realities of the world, he is shown departing the palace on his horse Kanthaka, giving away his princely garb, and cutting his hair. As previously mentioned, the important moment of his awakening is shown centrally, with Mara's daughters and armies attempting to distract Buddha from his enlightenment, before the scenes from his life as a teacher continue up the left side of the painting. His death, known as the parinirvana, and cremation are shown on the right side of the register at top.