A Beijing Thangka of a four-armed goddess surrounded by Buddhist pantheon, 1920's.
Colour on cotton. Image 89,5 x 57,5 cm (135 x 78,5 cm including silk borders). On reverse written 'Om Ah Hum' in pseudo Sanskrit.
Creases and loss of pigments, wear, damages.
Provenance
The Paul R. Wedendal Collection. Formerly in the collection of the explorer Sven Hedin (1865-1952), Stockholm.
Literature
Compare: Lipton, Barbara, & Ragnus, Nima D., Treasures of Tibetan Art. Collections of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, p 54-55.
More information
This thangka belongs to a group of paintings, executed with great energy and spontaneity, possibly by Mongolian and/or Chinese artists associated to the Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing. The iconography of the figures follows classical Buddhist description, but also often have unusual depictions of Buddhas and deities. Commonly 'Om Ah Hum' is written in pseudo Sanskrit on reverse of the thangkas.