A fine gilt and carved wood manuscript cover

TIBET, 15TH CENTURY

Details

A fine gilt and carved wood manuscript cover
Tibet, 15th Century
Finely and deeply carved and gilt overall, the central recessed panel with the goddess Prajnaparamita seated on an elaborate lotus throne flanked by Buddha Shakyamuni and Vairocana in separate niches, bordered by numerous Bodhisattvas and two sets of the Five Tathagathas arranged in vertical registers on a ground of foliate scrolls, one edge carved on the side with a kirttimukha mask amidst foliate tendrils bearing the Tibetan letter ka, the reverse painted in black and gold with concentric circles on a red ground, centered by a cartouche bearing a Tibetan dedication to Manjushri and Prajnaparamita
11 x 27.5/8 in. (28 x 70 cm.)

Literature

D. Ashencaen and G. Leonov, Light of Compassion: Buddhist Art from Nepal and Tibet, Spink & Son, London, 1997, p. 72

Lot Essay

The inscription opens with salutations to Manjushri and Prajnaparamita, frequently referred to as "Mother of all Buddhas". The text states that in the middle of their appropriate surroundings there are seated the Body, Speech, and Mind. 'The dharma which is proclaimed [in this book] to living beings is said to gratify their minds like the gold from the mythical river used by a universal monarch.' The inscription concludes with a dedication of the benefactor's merit for the benefit of living beings so that they may gain prosperity and eventually Buddhahood. The benefactors are possibly represented in the miniature images of devotees flanking Shakyamuni.