A Tibetan thangka of the Bodhisattva Manjusri, 18th century , with glowing skin boldly rendered in gold, standing on a lotus flower in his yellow emanation, standing atop a moon disk on a blossoming white lotus flower, his sensuous tribhangha (three-part) body posture framed by a tall, almond shaped halo, with gold lines radiating energy in all directions and a separate circular mandorla around his head, his left hand raised on his hip as he delicately pinches the stalk of a blooming lotus with his right, atop which rest the bodhisattva s two key attributes, a manuscript depicting the prajnaparamita and a flaming sword, representing the cutting through ignorance, the surrounding landscape depicting various blooming flowers, plants and billowing clouds, executed in a lustrous palette of green, blue, cinnabar red and pink, with eight flaming jewels occurring beneath the bodhisattva s feet, 39cm by 28cm The application of gold piment to this thangka is particularly refined, as the intricate Manjusri mantra written beneath the deity s feet in classical Tibetan script, and the five-syllabe Sanskrit mantra occurring in gold to the reverse of the thangka. The thangka has undergone damage during its history, possibly, caused by the political upheavals occurring in Tibet during the mid 20th century and many Tibetan misplacements to neighbouring countries. Nonetheless, the refinement of the details would seem to be an exquisite testament to Tibet s artistic achievement during the 18th century. Provenance: Private UK Collection . 西è—å八世纪 文殊å”å¡