Chakrasamvara and Consort
Tibet
c. 17th century
Ground mineral pigments with gold on cloth
34 x 25 in. (86 x 64 cm.)

Provenance: from the Uzes Collection (France) acquired in the 1950s

HAR No. 8211

Chakrasamvara, which translates as wheel of bliss, is one of the most popular yidam, or meditational deity, in Tantric Buddhism after the 11th century. As the principal deities of the Anuttarayoga Tantra of the Vajrayana Buddhist Tradition, Chakrasamvara can appear in several dozen different forms, from simple to complex, peaceful to wrathful. Here Chakrasamvara and his consort Vajravarahi are both with a wrathful appearance, standing on Red Kalaratri and Black Bhairava, symbolizing the triumph over ego and ignorance. Chakrasamvara, who is blue in color, has four heads and 12 hands, in which he holds an elephant skin behind his back, a staff, a skullcup, a golden lasso, Brahma’s four heads, a trident, a flaying knife, an axe, a drum, a vajra and a bell at center. Both Chakrasamvara and his consort Vajravarahi wear a skull crown, a garland of freshly severed heads, and are surrounded by the blazing flames of pristine awareness. A register of deities are at the top of the image. From left to right are identified as Vajrayogini, Vajrasattava, Ghantapa, Tipola, Vajradhara, Naropa, Dombi Heruka, Akshobhya, and Hayagriva. An attendent figure is positioned on the left of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi. He is mostly likely to be Kankalipa, one of the 84 mahasiddhas who meditated many years upon his deceased wife as a Dakini, the emptiness, and attained the state of mahamudra-siddhi.   

Arhat Abhayakaragupta
China
c. 18th century
Ground mineral pigments with gold on cloth
39 1/2 in. x 23 1/2 in. (100.3 x 59.7 cm.)

HAR item no. 7718

This thangka depicts Abhayakaragupta (Abhayakara Gupta), an arhat who lived in the 11th century, in composition #4, as part of a painting set depicting the incarnation lineage of the Panchen Lamas. He is depicted in his traditional monastic clothing and pandita hat, encircled by a serpent.

The figures that appear across the painting are the siddha Ratnasambhava at the top right, Vajrayogini at the top left, and Panjarnata Mahakala holding a staff in the lower right corner.

The Elder Arhat Kanakavatsa
Tibet
c. 18th century
Ground mineral pigments with gold on cloth
36 1/4 x 24 in. (92 x 61 cm.)

Provenance: Koller Zurich, June 1978, lot 46

HAR No. 36292

The seventh of the sixteen great Arhats adorned in a red and orange patchwork robe heightened with gold leaf details. Seen seated on a lush green landscape, surrounded by trees, rocks, and a muttering stream: features characteristically Chinese in style, a syncretic attribute derived from the intimate relationship between China and Tibet created by the conversion of Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler of China, to Tibetan Buddhism. The haloed and mature saint with eyes opened wide and gazing intently as he holds a jeweled lasso in his hands, according to the legends the jewels serve to give wisdom and understanding of Buddhist doctrine and were a gift of the Nagas. In the richly colored sky sit the sun and moon. In “Art of Tibet: A Catalogue of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Collection, June 1984, pg. 137, plate 4” Dr. Pratapaditya Pal references an early Arhat thangka, possibly of Kanakavatsa, with heavy Chinese influences. In this thangka an attendant figure is positioned offering a bowl to the Arhat. Dr. Pal explains that this iconography can also be seen in an eleventh century description of an Arhat series by an unknown Song master, in which “Kanakavatsa is worshipped by the King of Kashmir who sits on the right-hand side, the Arhat makes a mudra. Before him a flower bowl is placed…” Dr. Pal explains that “The kneeling figure in this thangka (LACMA), wearing the rich figured silk and offering the lapis lazuli flower, may be the “barbarian” king of Kashmir who is said to have visited Kanakavatsa…” One might postulate that the attendant figure in this thangka may also be the “barbarian king of Kashmir” offering a stylized vessel in homage. “Arhats are the saints of Buddhism, followers of the Buddha who have attained freedom from ignorance and suffering. In the Hîyâna school of Buddhism, the Arhat was considered to be the Buddhist ideal, but in later Mahāyāna Buddhism this role was taken over by the Bodhisattva. Arhats remained important in Tibetan Buddhism as protectors of the doctrine. Prayers were said to them and they were credited with many miracles.”– British Museum

Vajrapani, Hayagriva, Garuda Combined
Tibet
c. 18th century
Ground mineral pigments with gold on cloth Image: 29 1/4 x 20 in. (75 x 51 cm.)

Provenance: From a Private Italian Collection

HAR No. 8047

This fine thangka depicts Guhyapati Vajrapani, in his rare form of showing three wrathful deities: Vajrapani, Hayagriva and Garuda combined in one. The three deities are emanation of Buddha’s enlightened mind, speech, and body, respectively. Thus, they together embody the perfect power of all Buddhas, and protect beings from harmful spirits that create disease, disharmony and obstacles. The special practice of the Vajrapani-Hayagriva-Garuda deity has a long history of lineage, passed down from Je Tsongkhapa’s teacher, Lhodrag Drubchen Lekyi Dorje (1326-1401), who had obtained enlightenment through the practice Vajrapani.

The upper register of this painting shows five figures with Amitabha Buddha on the far right, and four teachers on the left, all wearing the typical yellow cap of the Gelugpa lineage.

Dwelling in the middle of a mass fire, the Vajrapani-Hayagriva-Garuda deity has a body blue-black in color, with one face and two hands. The right hand holds a vajra and the left raised to the heart in a wrathful gesture. His hair twisting upwards amongst which a horse head, neighing sharply three times over-powering the Three Realms. The neighing of the horse on the right over-powers the male lineages, one the left over-powers the female lineages, and the one in the middle bestows attainments on the practitioner. Below the horse is the King of Birds, Garuda, with a body white in color, beating the sword-wings, adorned within a jewel crown. His hair is adorned with a white spotted snake representing the Kings race. He wears a lower garment of tiger skin, adorned with all the jewel ornaments.

Vajrapani-Hayagriva-Garuda deity is particularly practiced in the Kriya Tantra classification, and grants protection from nagas. Executed strictly according to monastery scripture, he is accompanied by Buddha Nagaraja seating on the right, and Simhanada Avalokiteshvara seating on the left, who belongs to the Kriya classification, and is to remove sickness and disease especially illness caused by nagas.

Few other identified examples are held at The Fine Arts Zanabazar Museum, Tashi Lhunpo Compilation, Beijing, and Rainy Jin & Johnny Bai collection (See Himalayan Art Resource, Buddhist Deity: Vajrapani, Three Combined Wrathful Ones).

A fine thangka of Shakyamuni
Tibet
c. 18th century
Ground mineral pigments with gold on cloth
Framed: 31 1/2 x 21 1/2 in. (80 x 55 cm.)
Image: 24 x 15 in. (61 x 38 cm.)

Provenance: Collection of late John Walden (1925-2013)

HAR No. 8045

Seated in dhyanasana on a lotus base, his hands in bhumisparsamudra, in the left an alms bowl, dressed in multicolored patchwork robes, the face with serene expression backed by a nimbus and aureole, all surmounting Shadakshari and Vajrasattva below. “Born in the Shakya race through skillful means and compassion; destroying the army of Mara who was unable to be destroyed by others; with a body radiant like a mountain of gold. Homage to you, King of Shakya.” (Sakya liturgical verse)(HAR).  “Shakyamuni Buddha is the founder of the Buddhist religion. He lived and taught in India in the sixth century B.C.E., a time of burgeoning religious and philosophical thought from Greece to China. Born as the crown prince of the great Shakya Kingdom, the young Siddhartha Gautama was groomed to be a king in accordance with the wishes of his royal father. However, when he was about 29 years old, he learned of the deep suffering experienced in life by people. He left his palace life, gave up his fine garments and jewelry in order to find the causes of this suffering and the means to overcome it. After about six years of study, self-deprivation, and deep meditation he finally realized his goal. He had become an enlightened one (a Buddha). After this, he is said to have walked to a deer park in Sarnath (Benares) on the outskirts of Varanasi in India. Here he gave his first sermon, an event which is called the turning of the wheel of Buddhist law (Dharmacakra). The wheel as a metaphor for Buddha’s teaching will become a prevalent symbol in Buddhist art.” – Khan Academy

White Tara
Tibet
18th Century
Ground mineral pigments with gold on cloth
Image: 15 3/4 x 10 1/8 in. (40 x 25.5 cm.)

Provenance: Private European Collection 

HAR Item no. 8046 

Seated on a lotus platform, her left thumb and forefinger holding the stem of an utpala to the heart with the petals blooming at the ear, the right bestowing charity held across the knee. In this white form of the deity she appears specifically for the purpose of bestowing longevity – long life and health. Revered in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism it can probably be said that Tara is second in popularity only to Avalokiteshvara. Her practices are found in all classes of tantric literature of both the old Nyingma traditions and the new Sarma schools from India.

“…with a hue white like an autumn moon – radiant like a stainless crystal jewel, shining with rays of light, one face, two hands, and having three eyes; with the conduct of having sixteen years of age. The right hand is in the mudra of supreme generosity; the left holds with the thumb and forefinger the stem of a white utpala to the heart with the petals blossoming at the ear. Representing the buddhas of the three times the single stem is divided into three, in the middle is a blossoming flower, the right in fruition, the left in the form of a bud; adorned with various jewel ornaments; having various silk upper garments and a lower garment of red silk; seated with the legs in vajra posture. The palms of the hands and feet each have an eye – the seven eyes of pristine awareness.” (Sachen Ngagwang Kunga Lodro, 1729-1783).