Tibet. Gold and distemper on cloth. Mounted and framed behind glass. Finely painted with the eleven-headed, eight-armed Avalokiteshvara standing in a field amid thick clouds, a halo and foliate mandorla behind him, surrounded by six worshipping monks, four of which are backed by halos.

Condition: Fair condition with old wear, soiling, abrasions, and losses as expected and commensurate with age. Still presenting remarkably well overall.
Provenance: English trade.

Dimensions: Image size 66 x 52.5 cm, Size incl. frame 94.5 x 83 cm

The bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is the patron deity of Tibet, embodying the compassion of all the Buddhas of the ten directions and three times. In the standing form with eleven faces, he is closely associated with Lakshmi, the faces allowing him to teach all in the ten planes of existence.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1 June 2015, lot 620
Price: 75,000 HKD or approx. EUR 10,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A thangka of the eleven-headed Avalokitesvara and a thangka of Vajrapani, Tibet, 19th century
Expert's remark: Note that there are two Thangka in this lot and that the depiction of Avalokiteshvara is most likely of a later date.