Painting on linen, mounted on hardboard
Tibet / Nepal, 20th Century
Vajradhara with his partner in Yab Yum
Polychrome, detailed depiction
Overall dimensions: 79.5 x 60 cm (height x width)
Good condition
Provenance: from a Swiss private collection
Fine painting in bright colors with the representation of the union of method and wisdom

This detailed thangka was made in Tibet or Nepal and dates to the 20th Century. The fine painting on canvas depicts Vajradhara with his partner in Yab Yum. Vajradhara represents method and Prajnaparamita represents wisdom. Together, the two deities embody the transcendence of duality and coalescence of opposites. They are shown on a lotus pedestal, surrounded by a mandorla in the center of the painting. They are depicted in front of a temple and other Buddha figures as well as deities are arranged around them. In the background, small hills, trees, lotus flowers, waterfalls and clouds can be discerned. The painting is mounted on hardboard in a golden frame.



The thangka is in good condition with light signs of age and wear. Some colour abrasion and kinks here and there are visible. The frame shows small nicks on the edge. The total dimension is 79.5 x 60 cm.



Thangka

A Thangka (Tibetan: ka thang, thang ga) is a scroll painting of Tantric Buddhism. It is used for meditation in temples or in home shrines and processions. Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, guardian deities, Arhats, various lamas, ascetics and Pandits in various incarnations are portrayed in scenes of their life. Often they depict mandalas with the wheel of life as wells as lines of tradition. Thangkas are created according to well-defined iconographic rules (in terms of body shape, dress and attitude of the sitter), and are particularly common in Tibet.



Yab-yum

Yab-yum literally means ‘father-mother’ and is a symbol in Buddhist art which represents the sexual union of a male deity with his female consort. The union of the male strength and the female wisdom dissolve all contradictions, symbolizing unity and the highest enlightenment.