A TANGKA OF ERDENI PALDEN YESHE 18TH CENTURY

the Lama finely painted seated on a low cushioned throne in front of a low altar, with his right hand making the discerning gesture and holding an alms bowl in his left hand, wearing bright orange and red floral decorated robes, his face with benign expression and surmounted by a pandita hat



Opaque pigments and gold on silk

The Tangka is in fair overall condition and would be greatly improved by sympathetic conservation and light cleaning. There is a matrix of light creasing over the entire surface, with associated loss of pigment along the crease lines and in some cases cracking; areas of light rubbing 13 x 11cm., to the left middle side, and 12 x 8cm., to the right side top edge; an 8mm., diam., hole to the top right corner; light overall fading to the colours; small areas of re-touching in particular to the blue cloud ground; and evidence of re-mounting, as there are lines of original stitch holes running just inside the edge of the current mount.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present thanka is the portrait of Erdeni Palden Yeshe (1738-1780), the Sixth Panchen Lama, in a monk's robe with a begging bowl. Erdeni Palden Yeshe was distinguished for his writings and had a keen interest in world affairs. As the Panchen Lama, he came second in ranking after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The Gelugpa Sect controlled most of Western Tibet from the 16^th century and was the sect favoured by the Qianlong emperor who was a devoted follower of Tibetan Buddhism. The Panchen Lamas formed the lineage which is said to be the incarnations of Amitabha Buddha. They traditionally resided at the Tashilhumpo Monastery in Shigatse.

Erdeni Palden Yeshe was one of the most influential and worldly lamas known in the Tibetan religious hierarchy. He not only befriended foreigners, such as the Scottish adventurer, George Bogle, but also conducted negotiations with Warren Hastings, the Governor of Bengal between 1773-1785, when the army of Bhutan invaded the plains of Bengal. In the 45^th year of Qianlong's reign (1780) he was invited to Beijing to celebrate the emperor's 70^th birthday where he was treated with great respect, showered with riches and extended the welcome normally given to the Dalai Lama. However, shortly after his arrival he contracted smallpox and died at Xihuangshi (Western Yellow Temple) in Beijing, in the eleventh month of that year.  

Two further thankas depicting Erdeni Palden Yeshe are known, one showing him giving a sermon, with his left hand holding a sutra and his right hand in the vitarka mudra (preaching mudra), and the other, also showing him giving a sermon but dressed in a Qing yellow-coloured official robe. The two portraits, both attributed as the work of the Palace Workshop in the Forbidden City, are illustrated in Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Hong Kong, 1992, pls. 11-12.

Thanka's of this type were generally painted by artists trained in the Tibeto-Mongol tradition. However, the present thanka is unusual for its brush use and subtle colouration. The flowers, rocks and much of the background details are beautifully executed and painted in a most naturalistic manner. The face is a startling and vivid rendition of the Lama, insinuating that the piece is possibly the work of a Western artist or someone trained in Western style painting techniques at Qianlong's court. Wang Jiapeng in 'The Qing Palace and the Cultural of Tibetan Buddhism', ibid., p. 15, notes that while thankas were painted mainly by the Lama-painters and mounted by craftsmen who served in the Palace, the emperor also ordered foreign painters to take part in the work. He further describes that thankas painted with the collaboration of Western, Chinese and Tibetan artists often depict 'the main figure in the centre against a background of green hills and clear rivers of the Central Plain, which makes the viewer have a feeling of relaxation'. (Ibid., p. 15)   

For another example of a thanka attributed to the Palace Workshop see the portrait of Changkya Hutuktu Rolpi Dorje, the Grand Living Buddha in charge of the section of Lamaism in the Board for National Minorities Affairs at the Qing Court, included ibid., pl. 13. Thankas made in the Palace Workshop were generally of extremely fine quality and workmanship, delicately mounted and made of superior quality material.