著录:出版 Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 24875. 拍品描述:来源 纽约私人珍藏; 纽约苏富比，1998年9月16日，拍品编号 91 This large and meticulously painted Nepalese paubha a mandala with the wealth goddess, Vasudhara, one of the most popular deities of Nepal, at its center, surrounded by a multitude of various deities and scenes from the Suchandra avadana, one of the Buddhist parables that relates to the worship of Vasudhara. Several Vasudhara mandala paintings remain in private and institutional collections, and those extant examples typically follow a somewhat standardized format as prescribed by textual sources; the present painting is no different, and appears closely related to other notable examples. At the center of the painting, Vasudhara sits in lalitasana, the posture of ease. In her six hands, she holds a clutch of jewels, an overflowing vase, a sheaf of grain, and the Prajnaparamita manuscript, displays gestures of generosity and one associated with singing in the others. She wears a dhoti of various brocade patterns, typical of Nepalese textiles of the period, and is richly adorned with heavy gold jewelry on her arms and around her neck. Her graceful face with downcast eyes is framed by the thick locks of curls that fall to her shoulders, and is surmounted by the Vajracharya-style helmet-crown. Within the confines of the mandala, the bodhisattva Vajrapani, with green skin, is seated at her proper left and Avalokiteshvara, with red skin, is seated at her right. Seated yakshas guard the entrance to the gates and their consorts sit at the four corners, with additional yakshas laden with jewel-filled sacks and opening treasure chests interspersed between them. Four enormous gates, depicted in typical Nepalese architectural motifs, are flanked by ferocious makara heads with curving garlands, which create the effect of crossed vajras upon which the palace sits. A circular band of lotus petals acts as a border and separates the mandala from the other deities. Outside of the mandala, four of the Pancha Raksha goddesses are depicted in roundels in the four corners, each with two subsidiary deities; the central figure of Vasudhara in this case represents the fifth Pancha Raksha goddess, assuming the identity of Prajnaparamita. In the top most register, the Five Tathagatas are seated on lotus bases, with Vairochana at center and with Akshobhya and Ratnasambhava at proper right and Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi at proper left, with the sun and moon gods Surya and Chandra at the corners. The bottommost register includes Achala flanked by Ganesha (or Ganapati in the Buddhist context) and Chaturbhuja Mahakala in the center panel with consecration scenes on either side and panels of worshippers in the corners. The other two registers, consisting of a series of rectangular panels with various figures likely depicts scenes from the Suchandra avadana. In the Buddhist tradition, avadana stories were parable-esque tales related by the Buddha that demonstrated the principle of karma and benefit of good deeds. The Suchandra avadana relates to a story of a wayward son of Suchandra, a wealthy merchant. The son had squandered his wealth and karma through a series of poor financial decisions and outright theft, and at his lowest moment, turned to the Buddha Shakyamuni for guidance. The Buddha advised him to worship Vasudhara, and his wealth eventually returned. As such, the Suchandra avadana was heavily associated with worship of Vasudhara, and is often found in paintings of the goddess. Compare the present painting with a similarly-sized and dated mandala of Vasudhara from the collection of Stuart Carey Welch, sold at Sotheby’s London, 31 May 2011, lot 84 for £825,250; the Welch painting contains an inscription dating the painting to 1365. Another painting, in the collection of Los Angeles County Museum of Art and illustrated by P. Pal in Art of Nepal, Los Angeles, 1985, pp. 67 and 213, is dated by inscription to 1495. Both paintings share stylistic similarities to the present painting, although the details of the yakshas and the gate architectural details share more in common with the fifteenth-century LACMA example.