Tibet

Title

Vaishravana, the god of wealth

Place of origin

Tibet

Year

15th century

Media category

Painting

Materials used

gouache on cotton

Dimensions

45.9 x 38.4 cm sight; 48.4 x 40.0 cm sheet; 120.0 x 69.0 cm overall

Signature & date

Not signed. Not dated.

Credit

Purchased 1997

Accession number

367.1997

Location

Not on display

Further information

This 'thangka' of the Dharmapala (protector) deity Vaishravana is one of the earliest in the gallery's collection. Vaishravana is venerated as a god of wealth, guardian deity of the North and a follower of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. He is shown seated on a white snow lion, holding a jewel-spitting mongoose and a victory banner or standard. As is typical of 'thangkas', the deity is the central focus of the painting and is shown front-on, though sometimes in a schematic style. The picture plane is flat with no attempt at perspective. Rather the deity and his entourage are depicted in accordance with a hierarchical arrangement. While this format and iconography conform to an accepted convention, it shows the complex compositional treatment favoured by the Newari artists of Nepal. This example also shows the influence of Chinese painting styles in its use of flat, loose colour, its decorative treatment and stylisation, and in the clothing of the central deity.

The Asian Collections, AGNSW, 2003, pg.62.

Bibliography (4)

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 1998 1998, 'Collections', pg. 15-19, Domain, 1998, 18 (colour illus.).

Jackie Menzies (Editor), The Asian Collections Art Gallery of New South Wales 2003, Domain, 2003, 62-63 (colour illus.). The colour illus. on page 63 is a detail of this work.

Jackie Menzies, Arts of Asia Nov 2003-Dec 2003, 'New Dimensions', pg. 54-63, Hong Kong, Nov 2003-Dec 2003, 62 (colour illus.). no.20

Marylin M. Rhie and Robert A. F. Thurman, Wisdom and compassion: the sacred art of Tibet 1991, London, 1991. cat.no. 44 for comparable example