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| front~2 door over 2 drawers |
left side |
Click on a picture or the underlined links in text to see more/larger views.
This artist is one of those whose work takes your breath away. The fine lines have no better in any Tibetan art that I have seen. The colors are brilliant; however, there is some color loss on the left door, regardless of which, the images of Precious Horse & Wind Horse soar through the air with a majesty that would make Chakravartin proud of his horse. The design framing both sides appears to move before your eyes, with different parts taking turns moving forward. The use of dark brown between the kyungbur on the drawers is rare & seen only on a handful of pieces we have made during this time & is unique to this time-period, adding a benchmark to this time-period. The top is painted red & shows telltale rings from the many water offerings that were placed on it.
The Precious horse takes on a light blue hue on the right side & goes slightly darker on the left side. The pastoral scene under Precious Horse is different in each view, most evident on the frontal view where the artist has a similar foreground which makes marked changes to the scene as it progresses toward the top. The scenes create a desire to explore such a lovely place. Kyungbur is used on the drawer fronts to outline the design as well as on the front doors & both sides to frame the artwork. Curiously, the kyungbur on the door-pull is in the typical Sange zigzag design while the frame is expertly laid-out & painted with floral designs on a summer-gold base. On a typical Sange Monastery piece, the entire frame is done in the zigzag kyungbur.
Age: approx 1880
Dimensions (overall) H=30.25" W=31" D=23"
Painted by a master artist
To Purchase this item, get questions answered or would like additional photographs, contact David by emailing david@baronet4tibet.com
Price $3,785.00 plus shipping & handling: West Coast= $260 / Mtn & Mid-west= $280 / East Coast=$295 Sold shipped to Florida
Iconography
Foremost on this Tibetan Buddhist altar table is Chakravartin's Precious horse dominating both painted sides. Chakravartin, or Wheel Turner (the term in Hinduism refers to an ideal ruler, but in Buddhism, Chakravartin has come to mean a Buddha whose all-encompassing teachings are universally true) has 7 possessions. Chakravartin has an army of 4 divisions: infantry, cavalry, elephants, & chariots. Chakravartin is the lineage of 25 Kulika kings or enlightened monarchs, the 25th of which will finally defeat the "non-believers." The Precious Horse is able to travel among the clouds & mirrors the Buddha's abandonment of, or "rising above," the cares of worldly existence. The horse is Chakravartin's riding horse, which is able to circumnavigate the globe 3 times in one day, symbolizing mobility & speed. The Cintamani on the horse's back is a magical jewel with the power to grant wishes, able to fulfill any & all desires, also called the thinking jewel. Jewels in Buddhism are analogous with the importance of teaching, representing also the mind that has attained enlightenment. The blue horse refers to healing as Chakravartin has sent his horse to those who are in need of spiritual, emotional, or physical support. In this blue form, the horse is able to traverse all 4 continents in an instant.
The othere horse on the front is Wind Horse, the depictions of Wind Horse & Precious Horse are similar, with Wind Horse carrying the wish-fulfilling gem of Chakravartin. The Wind Horse symbolizes the 4 categories of personal health: life energy; health; personal power; & success. The Windhorse is associated with prayer & is depicted on prayer flags. In Tibet, juniper branches are stacked on top of homes to be used as a "smoke puja," invoking the Wind Horse, purifying the psychic channels & pacifying local spirits.
