This vibrant painting depicts the celestial dwelling of Avalokiteshvara, known as Mount Potalaka. According to Tibetan accounts, the location of the island is positioned off the southeastern shores of India, and narratives tell the story of Buddhist adepts’ journey to Potalaka. The mountain is first mentioned in the final chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Gandavyuha Sutra, where the chapter's protagonist journeys to seek the advice of Avalokiteshvara.
In this painting, Mount Potalaka rises high from the ocean, with a three-story palace perched on its slopes. The island is surrounded by imposing rocky cliffs, and it is rich in trees and flora. Swirling auspicious clouds gather at the summit, and a rainbow mandorla crowns the top of the palace. A bricked perimeter surrounds the multitiered palace, which is capped with golden roofs.
The central deity depicted within the palace is Avalokitesvara, the “lord who looks upon the world.” Often considered the patron deity of Tibet, he is the bodhisattva of compassion, and one of the principal deities in Mahayana Buddhism. Worshiped in many manifestations, here he is depicted in the form of Padmapani, “the one who holds the lotus.” Like the lotus, which rises from its murky bed below the water to blossom in the pristine air, he has detached himself from the pain and impurities of the material world and is enlightened in body, speech, and mind.
While the outward form of the Bodhisattva represents Padmapani, the wider context of the composition suggests the central figure can be more specifically identified as Amogapasha Lokeshvara. Amoghapasha, meaning “unfailing lasso”, refers to an unfailing compassion like a lasso which brings all sentient beings out of suffering and into a state of happiness leading to enlightenment. This identification of Amoghapasha Lokeshvara can be discerned due to the presence of the Amoghapasha Five Deities found in the painting, a common configuration related to the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism.
The four figures surrounding Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, starting from the upper left corner, are Red Hayagriva, Black Ekajati, White Bhrikuti, and Red Amoghapasa. The set of five deities is recorded in the treatise, “The Great Deities of Tibetan Buddhism” (bod brgyud nang bstan lha tshogs chen mo). The Five deities are seated on the ground floor of the three-tiered palace framed by resplendent silks and brocades. Shadakshari Lokesvrara, the four-armed manifestation of Avalokitesvara representing the six-syllable mantra, is seated in the second tier of the palace surrounded by two attendants and jeweled offerings. The summit of the palace is occupied by a seated White Tara, who is also considered a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara.
At the two sides on the top register of the painting are groups of Devas and Devis holding up Buddhist auspicious regalia, including a mirror, parasol, and victory banner. Some of the figures also rejoice with their trumpet and lutes. At either side of the second tier of the palace, at the leve of Shadakshari Lokesvara, are the five Dhyani Buddhas and Buddha Shakyamuni. On the left side are Buddha Ratnasambhava, Buddha Akshobhya, and Buddha Amitabha. On the right of the temple complex are Buddha Vairocana, Buddha Amoghasiddhi, and Buddha Shakyamuni. The five Dyani Buddhas are depicted in Sambhogakaya form, while Buddha Shakyamuni is distinguished by his Nirmanakaya form.
The Palace is enclosed by a brick wall with five entryways. Within the enclosure, seated to both sides at the feet of Amoghapasha Lokeshvara are lineage masters of the Sakya School, including Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092–1158) the first of the Five Venerable Supreme Sakya Masters of Tibet. Other figures include Nalanda scholars, a mahasiddha, and potentially, the king of Derge.
Outside of the walled enclosure, various self-arising manifestations of Avalokiteshvara preach the dharma to various groups of disciples, each according to their needs. A lotus pond sits directly below the half-open main gate of the palace. Carried by multi-colored clouds, the Four Heavenly Kings of Buddhism guard the base of the mountain while wielding their various implements
The bottom register of the painting depicts the story of Shantivarmin’s journey to Mount Potalaka. A brief narrative for this story is found in the 'History of Buddhism in India' by Jonang Taranatha. In the story, Avalokiteshvara provided money and resources for Shantivarmin for his travels to Potala, where he obtained the Prajnaparamita Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in Twenty-five Thousand Lines and brought it back to the human realm. Several of the retinue figures from the Five Deity configuration are also mentioned in the narrative as helpers and guides for the practitioner who was trying to reach the Potalaka Mountain to visit Lokeshvara and receive teachings.
While the lineage figures in this painting reveal that this painting was commissioned for the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular, the Ngor subschool, the painting style is highly influenced by the style innovated by Situ Panchen and Palpung Monastery in Derge. Situ Panchen emphasizes a subdued color palette within a minimalist landscape, distinctive to the Kham painting tradition and his personal style. Unique in Tibetan art, Situ Panchen’s depiction of layered bricks within architecture is undoubtedly influenced by contemporaneous Newari art, in contrast to the vernacular of architecture in Eastern Tibet, which uses primarily timber or stone construction, or in the case of monasteries, rammed earth applied with a layer of smooth red coating. The detailed outline of bricks accords with Situ’s imagination of Indian architecture and his philosophy of depicting people and places in their native contexts.
The painting is a work of astonishing beauty. The emerald-colored trees and the vermillion and deep ultramarine of the garments create a gem-like effect shimmering within a quiescent landscape. The faded horizon paired with diminutive figures produces an effect of sharp clarity harmonized with infinite spaciousness. Compare the figures and architecture of the narratives at the bottom register of the present lot with a painting from an Avadana Kalpalata series commissioned by Situ Panchen sold at Christie’s New York, 15 March 2016, lot 216. An eighteenth or nineteenth-century painting based on the same composition as the present work survives and was sold at Nagel Auctions, Stuttgart, 6-7 December 2022, lot 53 and illustrated on Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 7598.
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