Early Tibetan Thangka : Padmasambhava Veneration

Early Tibetan Thangka : Padmasambhava Veneration
The central figure of the guru Padmasambhava holds the position of veneration and status in this painting, depicted under a rainbow arch while showing details that capture his likeness as an individual. Portrayed with his hair closely cropped, a light shading of facial hair, a wide face, a rounded nose and a thin mustache, and concentration lines on his brow. Facial features that would have been recognizable by his followers and students during his lifetime. The borders of the painting surround the venerated guru with representations of 18 spiritual figures linking the subject within the continuity of Buddhist teachings. Auspicious symbols of a conch shell, prayer wheel, and lotus flower are incorporated in the work, as well as the use of gold paint to highlight the spirits of the depicted figures. Beginning in central Tibet in the second half of the twelfth century, representations of living gurus became visually synonymous with depictions of buddhas. These thangkas portraying gurus were primarily meant to act as the living presences of the teacher and provided the main means of spiritual worship for followers at the time (S. Kossak, Painted Images of Enlightenment, Mumbai, 2010, p. 41). This movement, tied to the rise of guru worship in the twelfth century, became largely associated with the portrait of Phagmodrupa (1110-11700). (D. Jackson, Mirror of the Buddha: Early Portraits from Tibet, New York, 2011, pp. 133-134).This antique gouache on fabric is stabilized by a border of silk brocade to fine effect in focusing the eye to the central image. Framed with graceful elegance. Dimensions: Image: 15 x 23 inches. Outer Silk: 25 x 43 inches. Framed Size: 30 x 45.5 inches.