IMPORTANT CHINESE SILK EMBROIDERED THANGKA OF THE THOUSAND BUDDHAS, IMMORTALS OR THE EIGHTEEN ARHAT LUOHANS. A finely hand sewn silk and cotton QING DYNASTY embroidery, LATE 18TH CENTURY to early 19th century Embroidery on silk gauze and cotton. Decorated with many different Buddha's, Immortal's figures and lotus flowers, flanked by detailed dragon and the phoenix bird border system. The phoenix bird and dragon symbolizes immortality, resurrection, heaven, water, fertility and life after death. All hand embroidered in silk threads & cotton backing. Measures 3 feet 7 inches wide by 6 feet 2 inches long.Additional info for:The Eighteen Arhats (or Luohan) (Chinese:pinyin: Shiba Luohan; Wade–Giles: Shih-pa Lo-han) are depicted in Chinese Buddhism as the original followers of Gautama Buddha (arhat) who have followed the Noble Eightfold Path and attained the four stages of enlightenment. They have reached the state of Nirvana and are free of worldly cravings. They are charged to protect the Buddhist faith and to wait on earth for the coming of Maitreya, an enlightened Buddha prophesied to arrive on earth many millennia after Gautama Buddha's death (parinirvana). In China, the eighteen arhats are also a popular subject in Buddhist art, such as the famous Chinese group of glazed pottery luohans from Yixian from about 1000 CE. A THANNGKA, variously spelt as thangka, tangka, thanka, or tanka is a Chinese & Tibetan Buddhist painting or embroidery on cotton or silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala. Thangkas are traditionally kept unframed and rolled up when not on display, mounted on a textile backing somewhat in the style of Chinese scroll paintings, with a further silk cover on the front. So treated, thangkas can last a long time, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture will not affect the quality of the silk. Most thangkas are relatively small, comparable in size to a Western half-length portrait, but some are extremely large, several metres in each dimension; these were designed to be displayed, typically for very brief periods on a monastery wall, as part of religious festivals. Most thangkas were intended for personal meditation or instruction of monastic students. They often have elaborate compositions including many very small figures. A central deity is often surrounded by other identified figures in a symmetrical composition. Narrative scenes are less common, but do appear.

Shows signs of age, brittle silk or weight tears and separations a few Buddha's are partially coming off, some holes and imperfections to the work,need re sewing in some spots, Would benefit from sewing repairs or simply being framed. one cartouche missing a buddha, Selling it as Imperfect and Selling AS IS. Please examine all images or attend the show room for preview and in person inspection.