Lot 129. A fine and rare samvara mandala, Mongolia, 19th century, tempera and gold on cotton cloth, Chinese silk mounting, 54x54(150x90) cm. Estimate 8,000-12,000 €. Lot sold 28,000 €. © Nagel Auktionen

A complex mandala originating from the Anuttara Tantra, depicting the Yidam Samvara with his partner Vajravarahi in his form as Dvadashsatmaka Dakarnavacakra, standing on the peak of world mountain, the mandala consisting of three tiers, each separated by a black border, with each of the multitude of deities represented as iconographic colour symbols, the whole system surrounded by a square mandala palace and paradise-like park with wishing trees and victory symbols as well as Buddhas in mandala colours, in turn surrounded by a band of lotus leaves, band of burial ground depictions, a vajra tent, and a wheel of flames in alternating colours. 

Provenance: Property from an important South German private collection, assembled between 1968 and 2005 mostly from Schoettle East Asian Art and Joachim Baader, Munich

Publication:  Thangka Calendar 2002, A. Loseries-Leick, Windpferd Verlag, March; Cf. iconography: Tibetan Mandalas - The Ngor Collection; Ngor That rtse mKhan po bSod nams rgya mtsho; (Ed.) Musashi Tachikawa + ShunzoOnoda + Iwao Shima; Kodansha, Tokyo; 1983 I+II: 80 Loden Sherap Dagyab, Ikonographie des Buddhismus, (Hrg.) Klaus Sagaster; Teil F; die Sadhanas der Sammlung Rgyud-sde Kun-Btus; Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden, 1991: F 80 The Circle of Bliss; Buddhist Meditational Art; John Huntington and Dina Bangdel, Serindia Publications, Chicago, 2003:262, Fig. 2