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Lot Essay
The present hanging belongs to a well-established Qianlong-period iconographic type known as Wuliangshou zun fo (“Venerable Buddhas of Infinite Life”), more accurately understood as representing the Buddhas of the Three Generations rather than a single image of Amitabha. The central triad comprises Kasyapa (Buddha of the Past), Shakyamuni (Buddha of the Present), and Maitreya (Buddha of the Future), arranged in accordance with conventional thangka composition, with the principal figures occupying the central register.
The surrounding program typically includes an upper celestial register with sun and moon symbols, airborne offering bearers, and subsidiary deities; below appear attendant figures such as Ananda and the monk Kasyapa, followed by the eighteen luohan, depicted as elderly monks identifiable by their attributes. In the lower register, the Four Heavenly Kings are shown in Chinese-style armour, reflecting the strong integration of Chinese visual elements, further evident in the use of ruyi cloud scrolls, wave patterns and inscriptions.
Such compositions were particularly popular during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1736–1795), and were frequently commissioned at the imperial court as devotional images and as diplomatic gifts to Tibetan and Mongolian lamas. While widely known in painted form, this iconography was also translated into textile media, notably zhijin (silk tapestry weave). Produced in imperial workshops, especially in Suzhou, this technique employs discontinuous wefts to achieve finely detailed, painterly effects and subtle tonal gradations, allowing for the faithful rendering of complex Buddhist imagery. The combination of intricate iconography and sophisticated weaving reflects the high level of technical and artistic refinement attained in eighteenth-century imperial textile production.
A closely related example is illustrated in Wong and Tan, Power Dressing: Textiles for Rulers and Priests from the Chris Hall Collection, Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, 2006, pp. 346–347. A nearly identical panel is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum (acc. no. T.230-1965).
The surrounding program typically includes an upper celestial register with sun and moon symbols, airborne offering bearers, and subsidiary deities; below appear attendant figures such as Ananda and the monk Kasyapa, followed by the eighteen luohan, depicted as elderly monks identifiable by their attributes. In the lower register, the Four Heavenly Kings are shown in Chinese-style armour, reflecting the strong integration of Chinese visual elements, further evident in the use of ruyi cloud scrolls, wave patterns and inscriptions.
Such compositions were particularly popular during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1736–1795), and were frequently commissioned at the imperial court as devotional images and as diplomatic gifts to Tibetan and Mongolian lamas. While widely known in painted form, this iconography was also translated into textile media, notably zhijin (silk tapestry weave). Produced in imperial workshops, especially in Suzhou, this technique employs discontinuous wefts to achieve finely detailed, painterly effects and subtle tonal gradations, allowing for the faithful rendering of complex Buddhist imagery. The combination of intricate iconography and sophisticated weaving reflects the high level of technical and artistic refinement attained in eighteenth-century imperial textile production.
A closely related example is illustrated in Wong and Tan, Power Dressing: Textiles for Rulers and Priests from the Chris Hall Collection, Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, 2006, pp. 346–347. A nearly identical panel is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum (acc. no. T.230-1965).