A PAUBHA OF VASUDHARA NEPAL, 14TH/15TH CENTURY

A PAUBHA OF VASUDHARA NEPAL, 14TH/15TH CENTURY Distemper and gold on cloth. Himalayan Art Resources item no. 1869 Image: 40 1/2 x 31 3/4 in. (103 x 80.5 cm) Footnotes: 尼泊爾 十四/十五世紀 財源天母博巴 Provenance Estate of Carl Rase, acquired in 1940s, by repute Private American Collection Tenzing Asian Art, San Francisco, 2017 The Richard C. Blum and Senator Dianne Feinstein Collection Vasudhara's presence in Nepal arose from the impassioned worship of the goddess who promised both material wealth and spiritual prosperity. One of the principal deities that arose in tandem with the formation of Buddhist cults in Nepal, her Indic origins became ubiquitously personified within this fertile valley. Customary to Newar culture, dedicatory images of the goddess were presented to commemorate her annual celebration. Here, she is depicted in a mandala format, accompanied by an array of deities and retinue all contributing to the opulence her name, 'stream of gems' imparts. Several iconographic elements closely derive from a conflation of textual sources. Her visualization includes her depiction with golden complexion, six-arms, and all-encompassing boons of fertility, abundance, wealth, and wisdom signified by the water pot, sheaf of corn, triratna jewels, and Prajnaparamita sutra held in each of her hands. Adorned with jewels and a crown, she sits in the posture of royal ease. Vasudhara appears with two bodhisattva attendants at each of her sides - red Avalokiteshvara and green Vajrapani – who hold fly whisks over their shoulders and act as emanations of her own compassion and wisdom. Described textually, Vajrapani holds the title 'chief of the yaksha army. His army of nature spirits connected to fecundity and treasure are depicted throughout with their female equivalents overturning sacks of cascading gold and jewels. Underneath Avalokiteshvara along the horizontal plinth is a form of Jambhala, the lord of wealth, and on the opposite side in white is Varuna, king of the nagas, the ruler of serpent beings who protects the treasures of the underworld. All of this iconography parallels an early, but more spacious arrangement of a Vasudhara mandala (HAR 4010). Early Nepalese mandalas of Vasudhara vary in format. The earliest dated example to 1397 (Pal, Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure, 2003, p. 60, pl. 32) appears in the distinctive circle and square configuration. The HAR example and another in the Zimmerman Collection dated to 1403 (Pal, Art of the Himalayas, 1991, p. 72, cat. 34), as well as this example construct the mandala using a rectangular arrangement. While this example employs a squared design, here, Vasudhara is depicted encompassed by varying sized shrines housing her retinue figures which verge on a circular shape. Although this format maintains delineated areas in the inner mandala through the frames of these shrines, they are densely packed with the background full of floating beings dispensing jewels. The concentration of figures conveys a rich and overwhelming amount of detail, emphasizing the glorious treasure filled realm of the deity. Surrounding scenes are separated in the Nepalese style by yellow borders and illustrate intertwining spiritual and temporal realms. The top and sides depict avadana scenes, stories of the previous lives of the Buddha, illustrated in another circa 14th century Vasudhara mandala (Pal, Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure, 2003, p. 61, pl. 33). These scenes are meant to convey the compassionate nature of the Buddha from his previous emanation as a bodhisattva. Worldly depictions along the bottom register show a priest performing the puja, or religious rites to the goddess, dancers and musicians, and kneeling figures in anjali paying homage with offerings to the goddess. These priests led rituals established the visualization of the mandala for participants, in an act meant to converge temporal aspects of seasonal harvests, bounty, and wealth with spiritual blessings. Vasudhara's celestial realm is perhaps the greatest promise of prosperity, for she along with her retinue, can end all suffering for those who perform this ritual. Lot to be sold without reserve. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ¤ ¤ Without reserve For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing