A Thangka of the Wheel of Life, Bhavachakra

TIBET, EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Details

A Thangka of the Wheel of Life, Bhavachakra
Tibet, early 20th Century
The cycle of existence divided in circular sections with three animals at the center: a rooster, pig, and snake, representing passion, ignorance, and anger; surrounded by bright and dark semicircles symbolizing the progression and regression of man; and further surrounded by five sections of the sphere of existence and re-birth, twelve scenes representing the "Causes of Dependent Origination", all emanating from the mouth of Yama
With silk frame: 31½ x 22 7/8 in. (166 x 91 cm.)

Literature

Exhibition catalogue, Light of Compassion: Buddhist Art from Nepal and Tibet, London, Spink & Son, Ltd., cat. no. 31, October 1997.
Exhibition catalogue, Monasterios y lamas del Tibet, Madrid, Fundación "La Caixa", 2000, p. 131, cat. no. 80.

Exhibited

London, Spink & Son, Ltd., Light of Compassion: Buddhist Art from Nepal and Tibet, cat. no. 31, October 1997.
Madrid, Fundación "La Caixa", Monasterios y lamas del Tibet, cat. no. 80, November 2000-January 2001.

Lot Essay

The Wheel of the Existence is a visual representation of the Buddhist teachings depicting the phenomenal world as a permanent cycle between life and death, ignorance and knowledge. An unusual detail of this painting is the inclusion of a European (probably an Englishman) wearing a safari hat and field jacket, within the 'world of human beings' at the top right section. It is probably one of the earliest depictions of a European subject within a Tibetan painting.

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