Tibetan Thangka of Sakyamuni with Silk Brocade, C. 1880

Thangkas are devotional paintings displayed by Buddhists in monasteries, temples, and even in their homes. The rich red, orange, green, and blue hues are still incredibly vibrant on ...

Believing that the departed continue to hold influence over the lives of the living, many Chinese households honor their ancestors in private family rituals, invoking their spirits for long life, health, and prosperity. Commemorative portraits, which came into vogue in the late Ming and Qing dynasties, were commissioned specifically for ancestor worship and were believed to house the spirits of the deceased. When properly cared for, one's ancestors were believed to be a powerful source of honor, protection, and good luck. This pair of ancestor portraits was hand-painted in the late-19th century and beautifully depicts a Qing-dynasty couple. While some ancestral portraits offer a more stylized representation of one's ancestors, this particular pair is painted with incredible realism and life-like expressions. Rather than depict the pair in a regal hall wearing elaborate finery, the couple is shown in a quiet home environment, seated at either end of a square tea table. Their surroundings are minimal, practically undecorated, and they wear simple, matching blue silk robes. Two young children stand beside them, each trying to capture the attention of their grandparent. We love the painting's close attention to detail and the glimpse it offers of Qing-dynasty interiors - from the carved apron of the marble-top table to the red silk lotus slippers...

An antique Tibetan Thangka with polychrome pigments on cloth, circa mid to late 19th century. It depicts Yamantaka, also known as Vajrabhairava, who is a wrathful manifestation of Manjusri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, and in other contexts he also functions as a dharmapala, or 'Dharma-protector'. The buffalo head deity Vajrabhairava is one of the three principal meditation deities of the Gelug School. He is shown with nine faces in the Yab Yum...

Antique Tibetan Hand Painted Silk and Canvas Thangka with Figures C1920 Measures- 31.75''H x 25''W x .25''D