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Source Description

This painting commemorates Kuyalwa (1191–1236), the second abbot of Taklung Monastery in central Tibet, home to a prominent branch of the Kagyu Buddhist monastic tradition. Kuyalwa sits on a lotus throne at the center and raises his right hand in the gesture of reassurance. The figures surrounding him include members of three teacher-student lineages, who transmitted the sacred knowledge and rituals that were taught and practiced at Taklung.Directly above Kuyalwa is his teacher, Tashi Pal (1142–1210), the first abbot of Taklung. He is flanked by the previous two teachers, Phagmotrupa Dorje Gyalpo (1110–1170) and Gampopa (1079–1153). Gampopa, to Tashi Pal’s right (viewer’s left), received the teachings of three lineages. One begins in the painting’s upper left corner, with the primordial Buddha Vajradhara, followed below him by the four great masters who preceded Gampopa: the mahasiddhas Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, and Milarepa. In the painting’s upper right corner, a second lineage begins with Atisha, wearing a yellow hat, and continues with three additional teachers. The remaining figures on the right side, beginning with a lama wearing a smaller yellow hat, belong to the third lineage. The patron of the painting, depicted in the lower left corner, belongs to the generation at Talkung that received teachings from Kuyalwa. He is probably Sanggye Yarjon (1203–1272), the third abbot of the monastery, who is named last in the lineage recorded in an inscription on the back.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
22472
label
Kuyalwa, Second Abbot of Taklung Monastery, with Three Lineages
core
obj
dtoType
drawing
pageCount
3
Source metadata
id
22472
contentType
drawing
stage
normalized
title
Kuyalwa, Second Abbot of Taklung Monastery, with Three Lineages
description
This painting commemorates Kuyalwa (1191–1236), the second abbot of Taklung Monastery in central Tibet, home to a prominent branch of the Kagyu Buddhist monastic tradition. Kuyalwa sits on a lotus throne at the center and raises his right hand in the gesture of reassurance. The figures surrounding him include members of three teacher-student lineages, who transmitted the sacred knowledge and rituals that were taught and practiced at Taklung.Directly above Kuyalwa is his teacher, Tashi Pal (1142–1210), the first abbot of Taklung. He is flanked by the previous two teachers, Phagmotrupa Dorje Gyalpo (1110–1170) and Gampopa (1079–1153). Gampopa, to Tashi Pal’s right (viewer’s left), received the teachings of three lineages. One begins in the painting’s upper left corner, with the primordial Buddha Vajradhara, followed below him by the four great masters who preceded Gampopa: the mahasiddhas Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, and Milarepa. In the painting’s upper right corner, a second lineage begins with Atisha, wearing a yellow hat, and continues with three additional teachers. The remaining figures on the right side, beginning with a lama wearing a smaller yellow hat, belong to the third lineage. The patron of the painting, depicted in the lower left corner, belongs to the generation at Talkung that received teachings from Kuyalwa. He is probably Sanggye Yarjon (1203–1272), the third abbot of the monastery, who is named last in the lineage recorded in an inscription on the back.
provenance
Stuart Perrin, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; purchased by John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore, February 1994.
date
mid-13th century
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Painting & Drawing
paintings
tangkas
tankas
thangkas
thankas
imageCount
3
pageCount
3
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
28.3
height
21
dimensionsRaw
H: 11 1/8 × W: 8 1/4 in. (28.26 × 21 cm); Framed H: 33 3/4 × W: 21 3/4 × D: 2 in. (85.73 × 55.25 × 5.08 cm)
Source extras
cul
Buddhist
inscriptions
Consecratory inscriptions on back of thangka
in Sanskrit and Tibetan
written in Tibetan scripts. Central inscription
written in the shape of a chorten
includes Sanskrit names of lineage of teachers for Taklung monastery
from Vajradhara to Sangye Yarjon (""Prajnaguru""). Published in P. Pal
""Tibet: Tradition and Change"" (p. 51
Singer trans.) and in P. Pal
""Desire and Devotion: Art from India
Nepal
and Tibet in the John and Berthe Ford Collection"" (pp. 232 and 330
Templeman and Lhalungpa trans.).
med
tempera and gold on cloth
creator_ids
6868
collection_ids
INT
exhibition_ids
2709
2071
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
a42f6e50f5eb4958
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
b7bb08c80b856bb0
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
8a4d5afdc244aaf1
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no