Tangka de jeune moine Chine, dynastie Qing, XVIIIE siècle

encre et pigments sur soie, représentant un jeune novice vêtu d'une longue robe lui recouvrant les mains richement brodée de dragons à cinq griffes, assis sur un trône sous un dais, à ses pieds trois corbeilles d'offrandes, à sa droite Chakravartin, les symboles bouddhistes de la royauté, à sa gauche les six emblèmes bouddhistes auspicieuses dans un vase Amrita, bordures de soie, encadré sous verre

The thangka is in very good overall condition but the silk borders are not original ; the actual colors are much more dense and lively than the catalogue illustration would suggest particularly the red of the robe and the green of the cloth hanging.
"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."

Finely executed in the Qing court style, the painting depicts a personage seated in the Buddhist posture with left hand in the dhyana meditation mudra resting in the lap, and the right hand extended forward in bhumisparsa mudra, the earth-touching gesture associated with Buddha’s enlightenment. The dress is formal Qing court attire that includes five-clawed dragon textiles and a jadeite necklace. The portrait is set in an interior with the sitter on cushions placed on a decorated hardwood dais in front of a textile draped over the throne back, all placed in the middle of a carpet of floral design with canopy and curtains above. To his left are placed The Eight Auspicious Buddhist Emblems, astamangala, in the form of a composite long-life vase with the lotus, the endless knot, two golden fishes, wheel, parasol, victory banner and conch shell. And on his right the Seven Precious Possessions of the Chakravartin (universal monarch): the precious general, the precious horse, elephant, minister, queen, wheel, jewel, all supported by a lotus flower. A lotus bowl of Buddhist offerings is placed before the throne with jewels, elephant tusks and white coral branches.

A pair of paintings in the Qing Palace Collection depict Erdeni Palden Yeshe, the sixth Panchen Lama (1738-1780) and Changkya Hutuktu Rolpai Dorje (1717-1786), the court preceptor, both shown wearing official Qing court robes rather than monks attire, see The Palace Museum (ed), Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Beijing, 1992, pp. 34-5, cat. nos. 12, 13. Although the figure in the present portrait remains unidentified the Buddhist symbols included in his portrait and the Buddhist posture of the sitter would suggest that he too held an official post in the Buddhist hierarchy associated with the Qing court. However, unlike the Tibetan Buddhist lamas portrayed in the Palace portraits there is no altar table supporting the ritual implements associated with spiritual stature, probably indicating that he was not an ordained monk.