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Lot Essay
The finely embroidered textile depicts a crowned red Amitayus wearing loose, floral-patterned robes, seated in dhyanasa on a lotus throne with hands held in adhyana mudra holding the Elixir of Life, beneath a striped and floral-patterned parasol with multi-colored tassels, all against a blue-embroidered sky with dense clouds. In front of him is an altar with the dharma wheel and other various offerings. The whole is set within brocade borders.
Amitayus, known as the 'Buddha of Infinite Life,' is one of the most popular deities in the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon. Amitayus is depicted here in his typical iconography, as a bodhisattva in a seated full-lotus posture with hands in meditation supporting a vase containing the Elixir of Immortality.
This thangka is exceptional in both its massive size and the quality of its embroidery. The embroidery emphasizes the contours of the design and subtly creates the illusion of three-dimensional forms, which is particularly evident in the shading of the clouds and contours of Amitayus’ body. This exemplifies the high standard of eighteenth-century embroidery. For an example of another finely-embroidered eighteenth-century embroidered thangka, see a thangka of Avalokiteshvara sold at Christie’s New York, 20 March 2014, lot 1631, where the stylisation of the clouds compares closely to the present thangka.
Amitayus, known as the 'Buddha of Infinite Life,' is one of the most popular deities in the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon. Amitayus is depicted here in his typical iconography, as a bodhisattva in a seated full-lotus posture with hands in meditation supporting a vase containing the Elixir of Immortality.
This thangka is exceptional in both its massive size and the quality of its embroidery. The embroidery emphasizes the contours of the design and subtly creates the illusion of three-dimensional forms, which is particularly evident in the shading of the clouds and contours of Amitayus’ body. This exemplifies the high standard of eighteenth-century embroidery. For an example of another finely-embroidered eighteenth-century embroidered thangka, see a thangka of Avalokiteshvara sold at Christie’s New York, 20 March 2014, lot 1631, where the stylisation of the clouds compares closely to the present thangka.