TIBET, 19TH CENTURY

Details

A thangka of Virudhaka
Tibet, 19th century
The guardian king of the Southern direction holding a wishing jewel in his raised left hand and a sword in his right, clad in multicolored armor and adorned with flowing sashes, the face with stern expression surmounted by a tiara and backed by a flaming aureole, flanked by demon attendants wearing colorful robes and holding various implements, amidst a landscape strewn with jewels and obscured by clouds
33 7/8 x 23½ in. (86 x 59.6 cm.)

Provenance

Private collection, New York, before 1972

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve.

Brought to you by

Hugo Weihe

Check the condition report or get in touch for additional information about this

hweihe@christies.com + 1 212 636 2188

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

View condition report

Lot Essay

Virudhaka is the guardian king of the Southern direction. Like Vaishravana (see lot 555), Virudhaka lives on the slopes of Mount Sumeru, having sworn an oath of protection in front of the buddha Shakyamuni. Paintings of Virudhaka by themselves are rare; likely, this would have been part of a set that included Shakyamuni along with the Sixteen Great Arhats.

More from Indian & Southeast Asian Art

View All