MING DYNASTY, 15TH CENTURY

The bodhisattva depicted in this thangka, shown seated in dhyanasana with the left hand in varada (giving) mudra and the right hand in vitarka (teaching) mudra, while holding the stems of lotus flowers that blossom at each shoulder, can be identified as the Padmapani Bodhisattva, known in Chinese as Lianhua Shou Pusa (the Bodhisattva with the Lotus Hand). Padmapani is considered an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who embodies the Buddha's compassion for all sentient beings. Padmapani exemplifies the path of compassion and altruism, remaining within the cycle of rebirth to help all beings achieve enlightenment.

A closely related thangka depicting Padmapani was exhibited at the Hong Kong Art Museum and illustrated in Heaven’s Embroidered Cloths: One Thousand Years of Chinese Textiles, Hong Kong, 1995, pp. 140–141, no. 140. The author notes that the Hong Kong example was woven erroneously as a mirror image. This mistake highlights that, despite the extensive production capabilities of the silk industry at the time, some weavers lacked sufficient knowledge to correctly interpret the orientation of stencil cartoons. Another thangka depicting the same subject matter is recorded on Himalayan Art Resources (no. 23544) and was later sold in Dharma and Tantra, Including Masterpieces from the Nyingjei Lam Collection, 18 September 2023, Sotheby’s New York, lot 126.