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A hand-painted Tibetan Buddhist mandala thangka on cotton canvas, unmounted, in the smoky dark palette of the older Kathmandu painting workshops. At the center a golden Buddha sits within a ring of pink lotus petals, enclosed in a square palace with four gates, each gate crowned by a Buddha figure. Around the palace run concentric rings of scrolling ornament and a ring of lotus petals, the whole mandala set against a black ground with mountains, clouds and trees at the corners.
Four roundels of stacked Buddhas on clouds mark the corners, more Buddhas float on cloud banks between them, and rows of seated Buddhas in arched niches run along the top and bottom borders, each with a red halo and pink lotus seat. The detail work is done in fine gold-toned line over black, with blue, grey, pink and ochre highlights. A mandala of this kind is a meditation map: the practitioner moves inward from the outer rings to the central Buddha.
Measurements: 14 x 18 inches (36 x 46 cm) overall including the red border; painted area approximately 12 x 16 inches (30 x 41 cm). Unmounted; no brocade, rod or backing. Plain cotton reverse with a few old ink marks at the top edge.
Condition: the thangka has been stored folded and shows it. There are horizontal and vertical fold creases with light white scuffing along the lines, fraying and small losses at the outer edges of the red border, and general softening of the canvas. The painting itself is complete, with no flaking in the figures and no water damage. Every crease and edge is photographed. It flattens well under a mat and would frame beautifully or take a brocade mount.
Ships flat in a rigid mailer, insured, within one business day. Worldwide shipping with tracking.
Price: $495
Item specifics: Region of Origin: Nepal · Material: Cotton, pigments · Subject: Mandala, Buddha · Handmade: Yes · Original/Reproduction: Original · Size: 14 x 18 in
Photos: full front on a plain surface; central Buddha close-up; one corner roundel; the top row of Buddhas; each fold line; the frayed edge; the back; a ruler in one shot.
