Chinese Works of Art: An Important Collection

each finely worked with gold threads on a dark blue ground depicting the central Buddha Shakyamuni seated in dhyanasana atop an elaborate lotus plinth in front of an aureole formed by radiating light rays and a blue halo, beneath trees with flowering branches, scrolling leafy vines and hanging fruits, dressed in draped patchwork sanghati, the face with a benevolent expression having one elongated ear on each side, the hair surmounted by a ushnisha, flanked by two standing llama figures atop lotus plinth with four more deities surrounding in various postures, the upper register with inscriptions in Tibetan, Manchu, Mongolian and Chinese recording Buddha's work, all enclosed by a border with Buddhist Emblems further circled by a border filled with striding ferocious dragons chasing the flaming pearl of wisdom amongst auspicious clouds, having characters to the lower left reading Qianlong dingyou qingding (ordered in dingyou year of Qianlong's reign, corresponding to year 1777); the set of thangkas depicting a continuous scene of the seven Buddhas of the past, the seated figures two with the left hand bearing an alms bowl, the right hand raised in lin mudra; two with the right hand facing down; one with the right in an open-palmed gesture of compassion; one with both hands folded at front bearing an alm bowl; one with the left hand raised and the right hand in varada mudra, all set in light yellow brocade densely decorated with crouching dragons interspersed with lotus scrolls.