An embroidered silk thangka of Atisha
Chinese, for Tibet
early 15th century
Height: 19 1/2 inches (49.5 cms)
Width: 13 1/2 inches (34.2 cms)

Seated on a lotus throne and flanked by columns set in beribboned vases bearing lotus flowers which are encircled by delicate leafy stems. The lower edge with a series of offerings and with a separate frame bearing an inscription, jo rje dpal ldan a ti sha la na mo, reading: ‘Hail to glorious Lord Atisha’.

*Atisha, or Atisa Dipamkara Srijnana, b. 982, was a famous Indian Buddhist teacher who arrived in Tibet in 1042 and lived there until his death in 1054. He founded Kadampa, one of the main schools of buddhism in Tibet.