A POLYCHROME WOOD MANUSCRIPT COVER NEPAL, 11TH CENTURY |

depicting seven teaching Buddhas, with hands in dharmachakramudra, wearing diaphanous red uttarasangha, and maroon antaravasaka showing at the ankles, seated in vajraparyankasana, the heads with alternate red and blue halos, each with rainbow-edged prabhamandala, all set on a monochrome red background, with seated deities at either end wearing bodhisattva jewellery and fluttering scarves, seated in vajraparyankasana with similar prabhamandala and partially obscured by natural accretion from handling during ritual use Himalayan Art Resources item no. 13630.

Collection of the late Mr. Stafford Elias, London, circa 1960's and thence by descent.

In fairly good overall condition for an object of this type and age. Accretion and some flaking throughout. With loss and accretion to both right and left borders extending into both figures on the far right and left of the painting. Additional accretion to the top edge and lower edge of the cover. The area around the wooden nail at center right showing loss to pigment.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Compare the style of a dharmachakra Buddha in a Nepalese palm leaf Prajnaparamita manuscript dated 1071 in the collection of the Asiatic Society, Kolkata, with similarly edged robe, neckline and fall of cloth from the lower arms, see Pratapaditya Pal and Julia Meech-Pekarik, Buddhist Book Illuminations, New York, Paris, Hong Kong, New Delhi, 1988, p. 101, fig. 34: and compare the format of early Nepalese book covers recorded by Pt. Rahula Sanskityayana in 1928-9 and 1934 in the collections of Tibetan monasteries including Ngor and Shalu, where the figures are surrounded by similar large circular halos set against an unembellished monochrome background, see S. K. Pathak, ed, The Album of the Tibetan Art Collections, Patna, 1986, pls. 16, 18.