Central Asia, Tibet, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. Created using the highly-specialized Kesi-slit tapestry technique, this beautiful polychrome silk thangka portrays the fierce guardian deity Chakrasamvara in tantric yab-yum with the female deity Vajravarahi. Chakrasamvara is presented in the characteristic Vajrayana Buddhist style having twelve arms, three heads, and wearing a tiger skin. He also clenches a flayed elephant skin behind his back and wears a drooping garland of shells, all the while standing in front of a fiery nimbus. Below the entwined deities is an expressive Heruka which wields a lengthy sword in one hand and a trident in the other. A single arhat is seen in the upper left-hand corner, and a worshipper is shown in the upper righthand corner. Noteworthy is the extensive use of gold-wrapped silk threads which are woven into the design to enliven the diadem crowns, jewelry, vajras, and other fine details. An excellent example of the Kesi-slit tapestry technique. Size: 30" W x 40" H (76.2 cm x 101.6 cm).

Yab-yum, literally meaning "man-woman," is the portrayal of the tantric sexual embrace between male and female divinities and represents the pacification of spiritual polarities. Thangka expert Ben Meulenbeld also explains that yab-yum is a "non-orgasmic action that is meant to express the elimination of duality" (Buddhist Symbolism in Tibetan Thangkas . . , p. 73).

The Kesi-slit stitch process is an extremely fine and time-consuming woven loom technique. Kesi, or K'o-ssu in traditional Chinese, focuses on having each colored area be woven from a separate bobbin. The horizontal weft was then linked to the next colored bobbin and then continued. On a 45 degree angle, the links are evenly distributed along the mutual border of two different areas of color. But the closer to vertical the thread lines get, the further apart the links between the colors becomes. Thus, by its very nature, the weaving technique displays vertical 'slits' (Kesi-slit tapestry). The backside of a Kesi-slit tapestry is always the same as the front side only reversed, and the entirety of the design is two-dimensional. This technique is practiced primarily because of its lightweight construction and the clarity of the patterns.

For further information, see: Meulenbeld, Ben. Buddhist Symbolism in Tibetan Thangkas: The Story of Siddhartha and Other Buddhas Interpreted in Modern Nepalese Painting. Havelte, Holland: Binkey Kok Publications, 2004. Print.

Provenance: private Bricker Collection, USA

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#124143

Minor wear and fraying along peripheries; a few loose threads on the main composition (primarily on nimbus and deity bodies), and minor staining that does not disturb the imagery. Creasing throughout due commensurate with age and due to the nature of silk. Several vertical slits are noticeable but are a characteristic resulting from the stitch technique, and not of superficial or age-related wear. Overall very good condition and vibrant imagery.