A THANGKA DEPICTING BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI BURYATIA, 19TH CENTURY | 十九世紀 布里亞特釋迦牟尼佛唐卡

Spink & Son Ltd，倫敦

Spink & Son Ltd, London.

Buryatia, situated along the eastern shores of Lake Baikal in Siberia, shares a linguistic and religious heritage with Mongolia. However, after the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689, its dominion remained within the Russian empire. Pilgrims and monks continued to travel to neighbouring Mongolia, and as far as Tibet and Nepal, resulting in a continuous transmission of thangkas, ritual objects and artistic influences.

Stylistically, thangkas from Buryatia are characterised by a strict symmetrical arrangement of all elements of the composition, and a consistency in the treatment of the landscape, with other distinctive features such as the profusion of cumulus clouds and pockets of dark blue water.

Another thangka of Buddha Shakyamuni from Buryatia was included in the exhibition Art of Buriatia, Buddhist Icons from Southern Siberia, Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1996, cat. no. 12.