UNFRAMED THANGKA TARA MANDALA - NEPAL OR TIBET - 21th C.

This unframed thangka originates from Nepal orTibet.

The thangka is hand painted on fabric with stone and mineral colours and gold.This painting has been smoked in herbal oil in order to protect the gold and the colours so this thangka is darkened but will last longer.

This thangka depicts a mandala with deities and in the centre standing Tara. Mandala is a Sanskrit word, and its Tibetan equivalent is “dkyil-'khor”, meaning "that which encircles a centre". A mandala is the palace or the celestial residence of the deity, in this case Tara, and is a support for the meditating person. Before the meditating person arrives at the gates, he must however pass some outer circles. The outermost flamed circle consists of the purifying fire: the fire wall, which are the flames of wisdom and compassion to overcome the deceits of hatred, pride, desire, greed and ignorance. The circle of flames also denies the uninitiated access to the mandala. The second ring depicts birds and other drawings which are difficult to interpret. The third circle exhibits lotus leaves, which represent the purified state of mind and the unfolding of the pure consciousness. This mandala is illustrated as a square structure namely a palace with four gates, facing the four corners of the earth. The four doorways represent the four Immeasurables: love, compassion, joy and equanimity. A makara can be seen on both sides of each gate construction. Within the mandala appear two or three deities one over the other before each gate and in each corner of the palace. In the centre Tara stands. Temples and deities surround the mandala. Above the mandala the eleven-faced and thousand-armed bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (also known as Chenrezig) standing before a temple construction and below the mandala a three-headed dharmapala (wrathful deity protector of the dharma) in yab-yum with his shakti can be seen.

Age: 21th C.

Size: 57 cm by 45 cm

Condition: The thangka is in good condition. Look carefully to the pictures which are an integral part of the description. Consequently any damage or repair to the object not mentioned in the text, but visible in the photos, are considered to be described.

The description and explanation of the item have been made in good faith and to the best of my knowledge. The dimensions are measured manually and are therefore approximate. Colors may differ slightly from the original colors. This is a private sale as I am not a professional seller; I am a collector who liquidates his collection. Therefore, I do not accept returns unless in very exceptional cases. In any case, the return costs are to be paid by the buyer. I hope you will understand this. Please don’t hesitate to request before purchasing all information you need. Your satisfaction and positive feedback is very important to me. If you have any problems with the item or services, please feel free to contact me first before you leave negative feedback. I will do my best to solve any problems.

By purchasing this item, the buyers expressly declare that they are fully aware of the regulations and laws of their own country regarding the import of the purchased goods and that the seller cannot be held responsible for any costs or for any problems that may arise in their own country such as for example, the payment of taxes and duties, or the seizure or even the destruction by the customs or other authorities.

Combined shipping: If you would like to buy several objects at the same time, combined shipping is possible if those objects can easily be stored in the same package. In principle the shipping costs will only be charged once.