Osian's Auction Catalogue Indian Antiquities and Modern and Contemporary Fine Arts | June 2015

Anonymous Tibetan Tradition Vaishravana, the Golden Dharmapala Wearing a Jeweled Crown Riding a Snow Lion Distemper on cloth, nd (c.16th century) 39.8 x 32.5 in (101.0 x 82.5 cm) Provenance The Osian’s Collection; purchased from Sotheby’s New York Sale of ‘The Angela & Mischa Jucker Collection’ in 2006 Illustrative Reference Kreijger, Hugo E. Tibetan Painting: The Jucker Collection. London: Serindia Publications 2001; pp.102 text & pl.103 (col.). ` 4,500,000 – 6,750,000 US 75,000 – 112,500 GBP 45,000 – 67,500 Antiquity / A.S.I. Registered A.S.I. No. DHL-I 007324 Non-Exportable Item “As a Buddhist deity, Vaishravana is both the lokapala (guardian king) of the north and a dharmapala (defender of faith), as he is represented in this painting. The deity’s origins reach back to Brahmanic India, where under the name Kubera he was given immortality by Brahma for performing over a thousand years of puja (sacrifices). He thus became the god of wealth, the protector of earthly riches and health. With his absorption into Indian Buddhism, he became known as Jambhala, and with the spread of Buddhism into Central Asia his name changed to Vaishravana (the son of the great adept Vishva). He became progressively more warrior-like and eventually was adopted by the Khotanese royal family as their guardian deity when they converted to Buddhism around the 6th century. By the time his cult spread into Tibet, he was already one of the lokapala as well as a dharmapala. On this thangka, he has the golden body indicative of his status as a dharmapala, and is seated on his snow lion, which is depicted with its legs chained together. Vaishravana wears armour, a shawl which floats around his shoulders, boots and helmet. He holds the banner of victory in his right hand and the jewel-spitting mongoose in his left. At either side of his head are the golden sun containing a cockerel and a sliver moon containing the hare, both animals drawn from Chinese sun and moon mythology. Immediately above his head is an image of the blue bodhisattva Vajrapani standing in pratyalidhasana (‘stepping to the right’ posture) on a lotus and holding a vajra (diamond scepter) and pasha (noose). In two arcs above Vaishravana’s head and at the bottom of the painting are eight mounted assistants with fierce expressions and flaming aureoles. Each holds a jewel-spitting mongoose with the other hand in the attribute specific to them. To the left of Vaishravana’s shoulder is a couple of Chinese appearance with offerings who also appear on another Vaishravana painting and have been the subject of various interpretations. Below is seated the donor in front of an altar table. He is being showered with jewels by the figure partly obscured by the lion’s head. On the other side of Vaishravana stands an armoured figure with a flaming aureole while amidst the smoky clouds can be glimpsed nine animal-headed figures, Vaishravana’s demon army. Although it is rather difficult to date this painting, a late 15th or early 16th century date is suggested. One can compare it to one published by both Rhie and Thurman and Kossak and Casey Singer. It is clear that the Jucker scroll is slightly later than this last one, which is dated to the beginning of the 15th century. The Jucker Vaishravana probably originates from Central Tibet.” – Kreijger, Hugo E. [2001]. Tibetan Painting: The Jucker Collection. London: Serindia Publications; pp.152 (col.) AN IMPORTANT TIBETAN THANGKHA - VISHRAVANA - THE GOLDEN DHARAMPALA, FORMERLY FROM THE JUCKER COLLECTION, NEW YORK 2 28