A THANGKA OF AVALOKITESHVARA SAHASRABHUJA

A THANGKA OF AVALOKITESHVARA SAHASRABHUJA
Tibet, 18th century. Distemper and gold on cloth. Standing atop a cushion resting on a large lotus flower, richly adorned with beaded jewelry and voluminous robes, his principal hands in anjali mudra at the chest, five of his secondary hands holding a lotus, rosary, dharmachakra, bow and a vase, the remaining 993 hands radiating around him. The central figure is surrounded by several attendant bodhisattvas, and deities at the bottom, the upper register with buddhas and the sun and moon.
Provenance:
From a noted private collection. The back inscribed at the top, 'Tibetan eleven-headed Avalokitesvara' and with an inventory number '37' and a copy of a publication of the related thangka in the Victoria & Albert Museum, where it is dated to the 18th century.
Condition:
Very good condition with minor wear, little creasing, and light soiling.
Dimensions: Image size 59.8 x 39.5 cm, Size incl. frame 75.4 x 55 cm
Mounted in a gold-lacquered wood frame.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related thangka depicting Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara, dated to the 19th century, in the Vicotria & Albert Museum, accession number IM.412-1914. Compare with an example in the National Palace Museum, Beijing with similar treatments of the floral forms and the overall composition, published in Gu gong bo wu yuan cang wen wu zhen pin quan ji; 59: Zang chuan fo jiao tang ka, Hong Kong, 2003, p. 134, no. 123.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 17 September 2014, lot 43
Price: USD 37,500 or approx.
EUR 45,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A thangka of Avalokiteshvara Sahasrabhuja, Tibet, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the related motif and size (63.5 x 40.6 cm).