A THANGKA OF RED AMITAYUS, TIBET, 16TH CENTURY Quote: "Bhagavan Lord of Limitless Life and Pristine Awareness with a body red in color, one face, two hands and with two long eyes glancing with compassion on beings, gazing on the entirety of migrators, a smiling face, wearing the complete sambhogakaya vestments.” Sakya Tridzin Kunga Tashi, 1656-1711, describing the present effigy in the late 17^th century.

The Buddha of Immeasurable Life, Amitayus, is considered to be beneficial for extending the life span of the practitioners and devotees. In the Mahayana Tradition, Buddha is described as having three bodies: a form body (nirmanakaya), an apparitional body (sambhogakaya) and an ultimate truth body (dharmakaya). Although Amitabha and Amitayus are the same entity, the difference in appearance can be explained as the first, Amitabha, is the form body and the second, Amitayus, the apparitional body. His striking red color serves to differentiate him from other appearances. The ultimate truth body is said to be without description.

Gold and distemper on cloth. Finely painted with a red Amitayus seated in dhyanasana atop a stepped lotus throne supported by two snow lions, holding vajra and ghanta in his hands, dressed in loose-fitting robes and elaborate jewelry, his face with a serene expression, wearing a foliate crown adorned with skulls, flanked by two standing bodhisattvas and surrounded by smaller seated lamas and standing wrathful guardians, with offerings below.

Inscriptions: To reverse 'Ah - Om Shri Ha Ha Hu Hu Phak - Hum - Om Sawa Badae Sawa Ha'

Provenance: English trade.
Condition: Fine condition commensurate with age and presenting notably well. With some old wear and soiling, minor abrasions and creasing, small losses, some with associated minuscule touchups.

Dimensions: Size incl. mounting 106.5 x 62.5 cm, image size 72.5 x 54.5 cm

Literature comparison: The thangka's deep blue sky and opaque red aureoles follow a 15th-to-16th-century style seen in a number of important works. See a thangka of Drakpa Gyeltsen and Sakya Pandita in the Rubin Museum of Art, object number F1997.45.4, and another of Vajradhara in the Rubin Museum of Art, object number F1998.17.3. See also a portrait thangka of Seton Kunrig at Bonhams, 29 November 2016, lot 125.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 22 March 2018, lot 928
Price: USD 75,000 or approx. EUR 84,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A thangka depicting Bhaisajyaguru, Tibet, 16^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related composition with similar blue ground and red aureoles, flanking bodhisattvas, and surrounding lamas.


十六世紀西藏紅色阿彌陀佛唐卡
〝無量壽佛呈赤色，一臉，二手，兩眼慈悲地掃視眾生，注視著所有的遷徙者，面帶微笑，身著長袍。〞 Sakya Tridzin Kunga Tashi（1656-1711 年）描述了十七世紀後期此唐卡的外觀。

西藏。布面膠彩描金。紅色阿彌陀佛結禪定坐坐於蓮座上，下有兩隻佛獅；一手拿著金剛杵一手拿著金剛鈴，身著寬鬆長跑，佩戴著華美的珠寶，面容沉穩，五葉冠后高髻。身後有兩位菩薩，一位喇嘛和戰神。

款識：三字明咒「嗡啊哞」

來源：英國古玩交易市場。
品相：狀況良好，與年齡相符，表現出色。 有一些磨損和污漬、摺痕和少量缺損，還有一些相關的微小修飾。

尺寸：總 106.5 x 62.5 厘米, 畫面 72.5 x 54.5 厘米

文獻比較：這幅唐卡的深藍色地和不透明的紅色捲雲光背，遵循了15至16世紀的風格，在許多重要的作品中都能看到。見一件扎巴堅贊和薩迦·班智達·貢噶堅贊唐卡，收藏於魯賓藝術博物館，編號F1997.45.4。另一件也收藏於魯賓藝術博物館的執金剛菩薩唐卡，編號F1998.17.3.。另一件些東昆利唐卡，見邦瀚斯，2016年11月29日， lot 125。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2018年3月22日，lot 928
價格：USD 75,000（相當於今日EUR 84,000）
描述：十六世紀西藏藥師佛唐卡
專家評論：比較非常相近的構圖，其中有類似的藍地和紅色捲雲光背，兩側的菩薩和周圍的喇嘛。