Thangka ‘The Life of Buddha’ – hand-painted, Nepal, second half 20th century

Thangka ‘The Life of the Buddha’ – hand-painted on cotton, Nepal, second half of the 20th century

A colourful, hand-painted thangka depicting the life of the Buddha Shakyamuni, in the style of the workshops in the Kathmandu Valley (Nepal). In the centre the Buddha sits in meditation beneath an aureole, flanked by two standing monks. All around, in a landscape of green hills, rainbows, clouds and pagodas, the well-known moments of his life are painted: Queen Maya’s dream of the white elephant (upper left), the teaching in the deer park, the enlightenment and, at the bottom, the reclining Buddha entering parinirvana. Details are highlighted in gold-coloured paint.

Painted in gouache-like paint on cotton, without the usual silk brocade mounting, so as a loose canvas. On the back the number ‘3003’ is written in pencil, a stock number. The style and palette match the thangkas made in Nepal from the 1970s onwards for travellers and collectors; we therefore cautiously date it to the second half of the 20th century.

Why we chose this piece

A thangka is a story: the longer you look, the more small scenes you discover. The bright colours with the gold and the black border make it a cheerful and at the same time serene eye-catcher.

Style and interior

Lovely in a boho, Asian-inspired or eclectic interior, in a meditation or yoga room, or as a colour accent in a calm, white interior. Framed behind glass or hung on the wall with a simple rod.

Dimensions: 47 × 36 cm (height × width)
Material: paint (gouache-like) and gold-coloured paint on cotton; unframed, without brocade mounting
Subject: the life of the Buddha Shakyamuni
Period: second half of the 20th century
Origin: Nepal
Condition: good, with signs of use. The colours are still fresh; light wear and small spots in the paint here and there. The edges of the cotton are a little irregular and slightly frayed. On the back a pencil number ‘3003’, a small diagonal pen stroke and a small stain (photo 6). No tears seen.

Price:
€ 75

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