TIBET, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

The present work would have been part of a thirteen painting set of the First through Seventh Dalai Lamas and their previous incarnations. Numerous sets are known, and they were likely painted following a standardized set of woodblocks. Konchog Bang was, according to Kadampa tradition, an Indian king and a previous incarnation of the 11th century teacher Dromton. Later, when the Gelugpa Dalai Lamas claimed to be an incarnation of Dromton, they incorporated all of his previous incarnations (including Konchog Bang) into their own, thus absorbing the Kadampa lineage.