distemper on cloth, original cloth mount and original red lacquered dowel, portrait approx. 41 x 33.8 cm, full dimensions without pole 64.5 x 40 cm, related mantras to reverse, (Hr)

Provenance:
Viennese private ownership. Technical certificate available from Prof Schreiner, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, August 2017. We are grateful to Mr Uwe Niebuhr MA for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.

This thangka features the image of a 56-divinity Pañcarakṣā Devī Maṇḍala (ib. Srung ba lha mo lnga lha lnca bcu nga drug gi dkyil 'khor) from the Kriyātantra division of the famous compendium of 139 Ngor Maṇḍalas[1] from Tibet. The Maṇḍala is dedicated to the group of five female protective deities, who were considered to be the personifications of five early Buddhist texts (Skt. Sūtra; Tib. mDo), the oldest dating from the middle of the 1st millennium AD. Each of the five divinities have specific functions, and it is their role to bring about worldly prosperity and luck, prevent natural catastrophes, conquer fear, and repel disease. Although they are termed 'Rakṣa' – which means demon – all of them are treated and seen as meditation deities (Tib. Yi dam). They enjoy great popularity – primarily in the Himalaya region and in Central Asia – and are even venerated in China and Japan.

The five divinities are depicted in diverse forms, depending on the tradition and ritual practices involved, varying, for instance, in the number of heads and arms shown. In the Ngor tradition featured here, which belongs to the Buddhist Sakya School, the eight-armed white goddess, Mahāpratisarāvidyārājñī (Tib. So sor 'brang ma) with her four faces is seen in the centre of the Maṇḍala. Her main visage is white, the one to the right is blue, the one to the left is red, and the one facing the rear is yellow. She sits adorned with ornaments and robes in the vajra pose (Skt. Vajrāsana), her four right hands variously holding a sceptre in the form of a thunderbolt (Skt. Vajra), an arrow, a sword and a wheel. Her four left hands respectively hold a trident, a bow, an axe and a sling. Surrounding the white goddess in a circle are four other female deities facing the four heavenly directions, each direction having been assigned its own colour, which are mirrored again in the outer floral colour fields. Shown to the west is the red three-headed, twelve-armed Mahāmantrānusāriṇī (Tib. gSang sngags rjes 'dzin ma). To the north, an image of the green three-headed, six-armed Mahāśītavatī (Tib. bSel ba'i rshal chen mo). To the east is the blue four-headed, eight-armed Mahāsāhasrapramardinī (Tib. sTong chen rab 'joms), and to the south, the yellow three-headed, eight-armed Mahāmayūrī (Tib. rMa bya chen mo). Vases are placed between each of the deities.

The five divinities are encompassed by a second circle featuring the ten Buddhist forms of the Hindu gods of the earth, who act as protective deities watching over the ten directions (Skt. Dikpāla; Tib. Phyogs skyon): Varuṇa, Vāyu, Yakṣa, Iśāna, Brahma, Indra, Agni, Yama, Rākṣasa and Pṛthivī. A third circle contains the nine planetary divinities (Skt. Grahas; Tib. Gza'): Śukra (Venus), Śanaikara (Saturn), Rāhu (Lord of the Planets), Ketu (Comet), Āditya (Sun), Soma (Moon), Maṅgala (Mars), Budha (Mercury) and Bṛhaspati (Jupiter). The fourth circle features images of the 28 houses of the moon (Skt. Nakṣatras; Tib. rGyu skar).

The Maṇḍala palace is surrounded by a square red veranda, on which a further 16 sacrificial divinities are located. The palace walls are delineated in blue and white, its richly decorated gates being guarded by the four kings of the heavenly directions (Skt. Lokapāla; Tib. 'jig rten skyong ba): Virūpākṣa (west), Vaiśravaṇa (north), Dhṛtarāṣṭra (east) and Virūḍhaka (south). The Maṇḍala is encircled by two protective polychrome outer rings consisting of lotus leaves and flames.

Beyond the Maṇḍala there are a further four deities, each assigned to a corner of the thangka. To the upper left, there is the future Buddha, Maitreya (Tib. Byams pa) and to the right, the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī (Tib. 'Jam dpal). Mirroring them to the lower margin are two depictions of Jambhala (Tib. Dzam ba la), the guardian of wealth and abundance, shown in both his peaceful and angry manifestations. Each divinity is flanked by two auspicious symbols: the victory banner, the parasol, the treasure vase, the conch, the pair of goldfish, the endless knot, the wheel and the lotus.

The painting style is strongly influenced by Nepalese aesthetics, and shows a great predilection for red, characteristic of thangkas and wall paintings of the Sakya School and the Ngor tradition of the 15th and 16th centuries. The colour palette is intense and vibrant, and the composition as a whole is balanced and symmetrical in form. To the reverse of the painting is a verse intended as a dedication: “This assembly of divinities belonging to the Maṇḍala of meditation deities was executed by Vidyadhara Lhachog Sengge.”[2] Lhachog Sengge (1468-1535) was the ninth abbot of Ngor Monastery in Tibet, and was responsible for the production of many works, all of which bear a similar Tibetan dedication.[3]

[1] bSod nams rgya mtsho (1983) Tibetan Maṇḍalas. The Ngor Collection, vol. II, Tokyo.
[2] Tibetan inscription: yi dam dkyil 'khor gyi lha tshogs 'di / rig pa 'dzin pa lha mchog seng ges bzhengs; translation into German from Tibetan by Dr Alexander Schiller.
[3] See HAR [www.himalayanart.org/items/89798; /87012; /65020; /65463; /88554; /41215; /269] 

Central divinity:
[I] Mahāpratisarāvidyārājñī (Tib. So sor 'brang ma)

Inner circle:
[II1] Mahāmantrānusāriṇī (Tib. gSang sngags rjes 'dzin ma)
[II2] Mahāśītavatī (Tib. bSel ba'i rshal chen mo)
[II3] Mahāsāhasrapramardinī (Tib. sTong chen rab 'joms)
[II4] Mahāmayūrī (Tib. rMa bya chen mo)
[II5-8] Vase

Second circle: the Buddhist forms of the gods of the earth (Skt. Dikpāla; Tib. Phyogs skyon)
[III1] Varuṇa (Tib. Chu lha)
[III2] Vāyu (Tib. rLung lha)
[III3] Yakṣa (Tib. gNod sbyin)
[III4] Iśāna (Tib. dBang ldan)
[III5] Brahma (Tib. Tshangs pa)
[III6] Indra (Tib. brGya byin)
[III7] Agni (Tib. Me lha)
[III8] Yama (Tib. gShin rje)
[III9] Rākṣasa (Tib. Srin po)
[III10] Pṛthivī (Tib. Sa'i lha)

Third circle: nine planetary divinities (Skt. Grahas; Tib. Gza')
[IV1] Śukra (Tib. Pa wa sangs) - Venus, Friday
[IV2] Śanaikara (Tib. sPen pa) - Saturn, Saturday
[IV3] Rāhu (Tib. sGra gcan) – Lord of the Planets
[IV4] Ketu (Tib. mJug ring) – Comet God
[IV5] Āditya (Tib. Nyi ma) - Sun, Sunday
[IV6] Soma (Tib. Zla ba) - Moon, Monday
[IV7] Maṅgala (Tib. Mig dmar) - Mars, Tuesday
[IV8] Budha (Tib. lHag pa) - Mercury, Wednesday
[IV9] Bṛhaspati (Tib. Phur bu) - Jupiter, Thursday

Fourth circle: 28 houses of the Moon (Skt. Nakṣatras; Tib. rGyu skar)
[V1-28]

Gates: four kings of the heavenly directions (Skt. Lokapāla; Tib. 'jig rten skyong ba)
[VI1] Virūpākṣa (Tib. sPyan mi bzang) - west
[VI2] Vaiśravaṇa (Tib. rNam thos sras) - north
[VI3] Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Tib. Yul 'khor srung) - east
[VI4] Virūḍhaka (Tib. 'Phags skyes po) - south

[1] Maitreya (Tib. Byams pa)
[2] Mañjuśrī (Tib. 'Jam dpal)
[3] Jambhala (Tib. Dzam ba la)
[4] Black Jambhala (Tib. Dzam ba la nag po)

Eight symbols of good luck
[a1] Victory banner (Tib. rGyal mtshan)
[a2] Parasol (Tib. Rin chen gdugs)
[a3] Treasure vase (Tib. Bum pa)
[a4] Conch (Tib. Dung gyas 'khyil)
[a5] Pair of goldfish (Tib. gSer nya)
[a6] Endless knot (Tib. dPal be'u)
[a7] Wheel (Tib. Khor lo)
[a8] Lotus (Tib. Ka dag)