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Lot 89
THE WESTERN PARADISE OF BUDDHA AMITHABA 'SÚKHAVATI'
Estimated Value:
1.500 € - 2.500 €
Schätzpreis:
1.500 €
Description:
Eastern Tibet, Khams, Karma Gadri School,ca. 190047 x 34,5 cm (74 x 47 cm)
The small painting shows, enclosed in a rainbow circle, the Buddha Amitabha in front of his palace in his paradise Sukhavati. There is a half-open gate in the palace wall, ready to receive arrivals. Amitabha is enthroned on a throne in whose niches peacocks appear. Amitabha wears the red body colour and holds in his two hands an alms bowl from which an Amrita vase rises, a reference to the "Long Life" aspect of Buddha Amitayus, who is identical with Buddha Amitabha. On his altar table lies a moon lotus on which he rests with crossed legs. The golden eight-spoked dharma wheel is emblazoned on the hanging altar cloth. Two monks kneel worshipping it. To the left and right of the throne sit the two bodhisattvas Padmapani (l) and Vajrapani (r) on their lotus thrones. Another six bodhisattvas sit in front of the throne and surround a small walled pond from whose water three lotus flowers grow. The believer prays and wishes to be reborn in the blissful paradise of Buddha Amitabha, because this goal is the easiest to achieve of all the Buddha spheres, due to the intensive wish prayers and vows. The Buddhas of the three times appear in the clouds. The four corners of the worship thangka show temples in which a Buddha resides. In the centre below the entrance gate sit three patriarchs from the Kagyu tradition, subordinate to three schools and distinguishable by their different hats: Karma pa (M), Situ pa (r) and Shamar pa (l). Abundant offerings are set up in front of them. Tempera and gold on cotton fabric, original border; reverse: mantra in black Tibetan characters.
Important southern German private collection, acquired at Schoettle Ostasiatica before 1980, Schoettle no. 5757 - Traces of age
