Tibet. Distemper on cloth, mounted in a frame. The yidam depicted with four faces in blue, red, white, and yellow, twenty-four arms in blue, red, and white, each hand with multi-colored fingers, held in karana mudra and holding various weapons and attributes, as well as a red and a white leg. His principal arms are crossed around his two-headed, eight-armed consort Visvamata firmly in front of his body while holding two vajras. They are richly adorned with fine jewelry, and Kalachakra wears a tiger skin.

Inscriptions: The reverse with the Kalachakra symbol and a Tibetan inscription about the colors of the five elements.

Provenance: From the personal collection of Paul Rutten, Amsterdam, and thence by descent in the same family. Paul Rutten was a Dutch dealer and expert of both East Asian and tribal art, who owned and ran the Amsterdam gallery Asiatic & Tribal Art.
Condition: Good condition with some wear, staining, soiling, water marks, small losses, tears, creasing, and minor touchups. The frame with few nicks and scratches.

Dimensions: Image size 55 x 51 cm, Size including frame 81.3 x 78 cm

The pair are trampling on prostrate figures, the red Kamadeva and white Rudra, accompanies by their respective consorts. They are backed by a multi-colored flaming mandorla and surrounded by numerous tantric gods and teachers.

The meditation practices of the Kalachakra tantra belong to the highest of the four tantra classes of Tibetan Buddhism: Anuttarayoga. By practicing it, it is said to be possible to achieve enlightenment in one lifetime. This spiritual promise led to the spread of the tantra, with some variations, to all the major schools in Tibet.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Koller Auctions Zurich, 3 December 2020, lot 261
Price: CHF 36,900 or approx. EUR 41,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A thangka of Kalacakra in yab-yum, Tibet, 16th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject and manner of painting. Note the size (66 x 43.5 cm).