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Central Tibet. Gold paint and distemper on cloth. Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion and the patron deity of Tibet, presides over his celestial dwelling of Mount Potalaka, flanked by two seated white four-armed bodhisattvas. Adorned in silks and jewels, the white-skinned deity holds crystal rosary beads in his upper right hand and a lotus flower in his upper left, both signifying purity. His other pair of hands folded at the heart in a gesture of salutation. Before the throne, rising from a square pool of water, is a resplendent bowl with offerings emerging atop a smaller lotus pedestal, flanked by Avalokiteshvara to the left and Padmapani to the right.
The Red Amitayus is housed within a lobed alcove at the apex of the three-story palace. Further to the top right is Akshobhya accompanied by Vajrsattva and Green Tara, and to the top left is Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, attended by his two closest students Gyaltsab Je (Dharma Rinchen) and Khedrup Je (Gelek Pelzang).
The lower register with a series of gilt inscriptions in Tibetan as well as two sets of Buddha’s footprints flanking the central gate. The reverse with the mantra, ‘Om Ah Hum’.
Provenance: From an old private collection in Bavaria, Germany, acquired in London prior to 2000, and thence by descent. The lady’s husband worked at the German embassies in Indonesia and Hong Kong, and the couple often traveled together and would acquire objects for their collection on these trips.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, minor creasing, light soiling, an old stain at the right knee, minute losses to pigments, the colors and gold exceptionally well preserved.
Dimensions: Size 69.5 x 52.7 cm
This vibrant painting depicts the celestial dwelling of Avalokiteshvara, known as Mount Potalaka. According to Tibetan accounts, the location of the island is positioned off the southeastern shores of India, and narratives tell the story of Buddhist adepts’ journey to Potalaka. The mountain is first mentioned in the final chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Gandavyuha Sutra, where the chapter's protagonist journeys to seek the advice of Avalokiteshvara. The Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, traditional home of the Dalai Lama, is named after the Potalaka pure land.
The four-armed Avalokiteshvara is also sometimes referred to as Shadakshari which are the two Sanskrit words shad and akshari meaning ‘six syllables’. This refers to the most common and well-known mantra of Avalokiteshvara: Om mani padme hum. The two middle words of the mantra, mani padme, are an epithet unique to Avalokiteshvara meaning 'jeweled lotus'.
Expert’s note: According to Jeff Watt, the “Menri style and tradition of Tibetan painting was founded by Mantangpa Manla Dondrub (late 15th, early 16th century). Currently there is only one known work attributed to Mantangpa by inscription. There is also an artist sketchbook attributed by inscription to his principal student named Trengkhapa Lodro Zangpo who was also a student of the 3rd Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso (1543-1588). Information on the life of Trengkhapa can be found in several biographies including that of the 3rd Dalai Lama. Trengkhapa is also renowned for formulating the most precise measurements for stupa construction which are still used today. Both Tashi Lhunpo and Yangpachen monastery have in their recorded histories that certain temples were decorated in the Menri painting style. In modern times some artists claim that there are three styles that are known as Menri, original menri, new menri, and old menri which came about later as an attempt to revive the original menri style. There are so few menri painting examples making it difficult to create a meaningful chronology of known paintings in the Menri style and later tradition.” See Himalayan Art Resources, Painting Tradition: Menri Main Page, last updated December 2025.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related Tibetan thangka depicting Avalokiteshvara in his Potala Pure Land, dated to the late 18th-early 19th century, 117.2 x 67.3 cm, in the Rubin Museum of Art, object number C2012.4.5.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 17 March 2014, lot 53
Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 18,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A thangka of Avalokitesvara Chaturbhuja, Tibet, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of painting, composition, and subject. Note the similar size (71.2 x 48.5 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 18 September 2013, lot 277
Price: USD 11,875 or approx. EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A painting of Chaturbhuja Avalokiteshvara, Tibet, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and manner of painting. Note the size (64.1 x 43.2 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Dorotheum, Vienna, 3 June 2014, lot 5
Price: EUR 10,625 or approx. EUR 14,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A thangka of Shadakshari Lokeshvara, Tibet, late 19th/20th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related composition, manner of painting, and subject. Note the size (59.5 x 40 cm) and that the hammer price far exceeded the estimate of EUR 400, strongly indicating that bidders were aware of the thangka’s true dating and value.
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