A THANGKA OF AN INDIAN SIDDHA EASTERN TIBET, 18TH CENTURYA THANGKA OF AN INDIAN SIDDHAEASTERN TIBET, 18TH CENTURY Distemper on cloth, with original silk mounts; verso with a Tibetan 'om, ah, hum' incantation behind the central figure and a Tibetan inscription probably referring to the unidentified subject, "Guru Arya Sanga Siddhi Hum".Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4737 Image: 94 x 58 cm (37 x 22 7/8 in.); With silks: 183 x 80 cm (72 x 31 1/2 in.)藏東 十八世紀 印度成就者唐卡This large and elegant thangka is rendered in a Kham-dri style of Eastern Tibet, related to the aesthetic revival inspired by Situ Panchen (1700–74) and the Karma Kagyu Order of Tibetan Buddhism in the 18th century. Informed by the Chinese landscape tradition, a high level of refinement is shown in every element: from the deft, light brushstrokes creating the rocky outcroppings, clouds, and far-away mountain peaks, to the gradual washes conveying the verdant ground's recession in both fore- and background, giving the setting an ethereal character. The subtle shading of the petals within the lotus pedestal add a pleasing volume to the flower. Their exact treatment, and the silhouettes of the cumulus clouds framing the central figure, are details shared by another Kham-dri painting of White Tara (HAR 997; Jackson, A Place of Provenance, 2012, p. 96, fig. 5.8), though its more opaque palette and harder outlines would ascribe it a later date (early 19th century) than the present work. The unidentified subject of the painting is one of the revered Indian root gurus of Tibetan Buddhism, which can be discerned by the blue inner vest worn that is reserved for this class of religious master. Another painting from the same set was sold at Bonhams, Sydney, 15 November 2018, lot 145.Provenance:Private California Collection