The sixty-four manifestations of Chakrasamvara, in 93 miniatures

[Chakrasamvara miniatures]. Chakrasamvara manual.

€ 18,000.00

With over ninety miniatures, this is a fine, detailed example of a thyasapu: a folding book from Nepal. Such works often served as manuals for artists, pairing illustrations with iconographic descriptions that provided information on how to accurately represent the often complex tantric deities of Nepalese Buddhism or Shaivism. This example depicts the sixty-four manifestations of Chakrasamvara according to the Samvaragama Mahatantra. The incredibly complex iconographic programme related to this text meant that accompanying visualization manuals were often important for worship by even the most learned practitioners. A remarkably similar example, most likely by the same artist, was sold at Bonhams New York, 18 Sept. 2013, lot 50. Similar Nepalese iconographic illustrated manuscripts can also be found in institutions, such as a ritual manual in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (1994-148-617) and a book of iconographic drawings in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.82.169.2).