A BLACKGROUND THANGKA OF SHADBHUJA MAHAKALA

TIBET, 18TH CENTURY

Footnotes

This potent image depicts the protector deity Shadbhuja Mahakala with perfect lines, forms, and colors of exceptional quality. His boundless energy seems to burgeon from out beyond his bulging eyes and gaping mouth, framed by tense facial muscles, and to radiate in all directions – his pristine awareness on fire. The flawless strands of his upswept hair show a real mastery of the brush. Meanwhile, the meticulous and selective use of shading, occasionally rendered with patches of color, occasionally with repeated lines, enhances the thangka's horrific awe.

Described by Rhie & Thurman, in reference to a comparable painting, blackground thangkas served to intensify the visual impression of wrathful deities who project an aura of overwhelming power in order to protect or assist practitioners. "The black color here reflects the ultimate reality, voidness, the Truth Body of enlightened beings. Beings enjoying the awareness of this reality are only moved to manifestation by compassion, which is the source of the striking beauty of their forms and surroundings." (Rhie & Thurman, Wisdom and Compassion, New York, 1991, p.297.)

Shadbhuja Mahakala was brought to Tibet by Khyungpo Naljor, the founder of the Shangpa Kagyu School. The practice became popular in the Sakya, Kagyu and Jonang traditions and was later adopted into the Gelugpa School, becoming one of the orders three principal protectors. This painting is a Gelug commission. The order's founder, Tsongkhapa, is depicted at the painting's apex, flanked by ancillary forms of Mahakala. The inner retinue of Shadbhuja Mahakala's surround the central figure. Beginning with the top right figure and rounding clockwise, we see black Jinamitra, Trakshe riding a horse, Palden Lhamo riding a black mule, Shri Devi riding a red mule, Kshetrapala riding a bear, and red Takkiraja.

Another blackground thangka of a similar composition is published in Lipton & Ragnubs, Treasures of Tibetan Art, New York, 1996, p.164-5, no.85. Also compare Vajrabhairava nakthang paintings sold at Sotheby's, New York, 20 March 2013, lot 245; and 17 March, 2015, lot 1012.

Provenance
Private New York Collection


六臂大黑天黑唐卡
西藏，十八世紀
布本設色；經重新裝裱；畫芯背面有五行咒："Om vajra vidya svaha，om vajra ayushe svaha，om vajra mahakala kshim kshetra vighnan vinayaka hum hum phat phat svaha，[...]，Om supra thishtha vajra svaha"。
喜馬拉雅藝術資源網2111號
畫芯：78.8 x 57.8 釐米（31 x 22 3/4 英寸）；
裝裱：166.4 x 94 釐米（65 1/2 x 37 英寸）

1,500,000-2,500,000 港元

此幅唐卡描繪護法神六臂大黑天的威武形像。完美的線條、造型和色彩盡顯高超繪畫技藝，傳神勾勒出六臂大黑天之無窮法力，其神情緊繃，怒目圓睜，闊嘴大張，其身後火焰熊熊，威震四方。完美無瑕的屢屢發絲向上衝立，體現出畫師精湛的筆觸運用。畫面的明暗處理亦非常謹慎考究，時而采用色塊渲染，時而采用線條往復，讓觀者更生敬畏之感。

Rhie 與 Thurman 在分析一幅可比唐卡時指出黑唐卡更加深化忿怒尊的視覺印像，突顯其散發出壓倒性力量來保護並幫助修行者。"此處黑色像征終極實相、空性、覺悟者之法身。覺悟此實相之眾生但以慈悲方具顯形，而慈悲正乃其形態及周身驚世魅力之源。"（參見 Rhie 與 Thurman，Wisdom and Compassion，紐約，1991 年，頁 297）

六臂大黑天由香巴噶舉派創始人瓊波南交傳入西藏。其修行逐漸在薩迦派、噶舉派和覺囊派得到青睞，後被格魯派所采納，成為其三大重要護法之一。此繪畫為格魯派供奉。頂端繪有格魯派創始人宗喀巴，其兩側分列大黑天輔形。六臂大黑天的中心畫像為其內護法所環繞。從右上方開始，順時針方向分別為黑勝友、騎馬扎舍、騎黑驢吉祥天母、騎紅驢佛母、騎黑熊護法與紅大自在天。

另一幅構圖類似的黑唐卡出版於 Lipton 與 Ragnubs，Treasures of Tibetan Art，紐約，1996 年，頁 164-165，85 號。另兩件對照作品大威德金剛黑唐分別於 2013 年 3 月 20 日和 2015 年 3 月 17 日在紐約蘇富比售出（拍品 245 號和拍品 1012 號）。

來源
紐約私人收藏