Lot 98

Collectors and philanthropists Shelley and Donald Rubin founded the Rubin Museum of Art which opened to the public in 2004. The Rubins wished to offer New York and the world an unparalleled cultural institution dedicated to the art and ideas of the Himalayas. They were particularly motivated by a desire to increase the visibility of underappreciated artistic traditions by donating their personal collection to establish a new museum.The basis for the Rubin Museum of Art collection was a generous gift of more than 1,800 objects from the founders passionately assembled over the course of three decades. Fulfilling that vision, the Rubin Museum of Art is now a thriving arts and cultural hub in New York City’s vibrant Chelsea neighborhood that inspires visitors to make connections between contemporary life and the art and ideas of the Himalayas and neighboring regions.The Rubin collection spans a period of more than 1,500 years. It encompasses 3,000 preeminent works of art and objects from the Tibetan plateau, with examples from surrounding regions including Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.The collection focuses on artworks of considerable quality and depth. With its scroll paintings (thangkas) and sculptures, as well as a wide variety of artworks such as masks, textiles, and illuminated manuscripts, it provides audiences from around the world with the opportunity to see exceptional works of art, and be exposed to the rich history and achievements of Himalayan regions.The Rubin Museum is now entering its second decade. Looking to its future and long-term goals as an institution, the museum is refining and strengthening its founding collection—a program that includes both deaccessioning and acquiring new artworks.Christie’s is honored to present works deaccessioned by the Rubin Museum of Art. Funds obtained through this sale will enable the Rubin Museum of Art to further expand its collection and continue to inspire future generations of visitors.ARHATS The concept of the arhat, or sage, permeates nearly all forms of Buddhism. As wise elders, arhats are considered to be the earliest followers of the Buddha. This Sanskrit term arhat translates to “One Who is Worthy,” denoting the wisdom they possess in their fully realized state of enlightenment. There are sixteen Great Arhats who are named alongside their descriptions in Praise to the Sixteen Arhats, the 12th/13th-century text of Kashmiri teacher Shakyashri Bhadra. Many more arhats exist, but are not as widely venerated by Buddhist followers. Hundreds and occasionally thousands of these secondary arhats accompany the primary sixteen. The Sixteen Great Arhats are the principal followers of Shakyamuni Buddha, known as “the Enlightened One.” They are imbedded within the narrative of Shakyamuni Buddha and are frequently depicted in the same context alongside other figures, including; the Buddha’s two foremost disciples (Shariputra and Maudgalyayana), the Four Directional Guardians (Vaishravana, Virudhaka, Dhritarashtra, and Virupaksha), Dharmatala, the layman attendant who is an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, and finally, Hvashang, their Chinese patron. These twenty-five figures make up the iconography typically associated with the Sixteen Great Arhats. Followers of Theravada Buddhism consider arhats worthy of higher praise than bodhisattvas. The Sixteen Great Arhats are the subject of many Himalayan paintings. The wall murals of Dratang Monastery in Tibet house some of the earliest known depictions of the Sixteen Great Arhats. The arhats are usually shown as elderly men with shaved heads and clothed in Chinese style monastic garments. The Sixteen Great Arhats are shown as seated and are identified by their primary attributes, as follows:Angaja, incense burner and flywhiskAjita, two hands placed in mudra of meditationVanavasin, wrathful mudra and flywhiskKalika, pair of golden ringsVajriputra, wrathful mudra and flywhiskBhadra, Gestures of explication and meditationKanakavatsa, jeweled lasso Kanaka Bharadvaja, two hands placed in mudra of meditationBakula, mongooseRahula, jeweled tiaraChudapantaka, two hands placed in mudra of meditationPindola Bharadvaja, book and begging bowlPantaka, gesture of explication and bookNagasena, vase and staffGopaka, book held with two handsAbheda, stupa reliquary symbolPainted images of arhats were among the first subject collected by Donald and Shelly Rubin. They were attracted by the sensitively rendered portraits and the peaceful lush landscapes. Sold to benefit the Rubin Museum acquisitions fund

A PAINTING OF ARHATS KALIKA AND VAJRIPUTRA

TIBET, 17TH/18TH CENTURY

Details

A PAINTING OF ARHATS KALIKA AND VAJRIPUTRA
TIBET, 17TH/18TH CENTURY
The elder Vajriputra seated on a large throne draped with an ornate textile, holding a fly whisk in his left hand, wearing colorful billowing robes, his head backed by a translucent halo, devotees seated around him, and the elder Kalika seated in the foreground on a pink lotus blossom, wearing colorful voluminous robes, his hands holding jeweled ornaments, backed by a blue halo, a devotee standing below, set amidst a verdant and mountainous landscape
Opaque pigments and gold on textile
28 x 16 in. (71.1 x 40.6 cm.)

Provenance

Rubin Museum of Art, acquired in New York, 11 May 2004

Literature

Himalayan Art Resource (himalayanart.org), item no. 65373

Brought to you by

Sandhya Jain-Patel

sjain-patel@christies.com +1 212 636 2162

Lot Essay

The inscriptions, to the proper right of Vajriputra and below Kalika, translate to:
[5] On the Island of Singha [Sri Lanka] is the noble elder Vajriputra, surrounded by 1,000 arhats; homage to the one performing a pointing gesture and holding a fly whisk.

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