Tibet, around 1900. Distemper and gold on cloth. The wrathful protector standing atop a prostrate figure on a cushion behind a flaming mandorla, with the kapala and kartrika in his hands. Resting across his forearms is a gandhi stick, from which all other forms of Mahakala emanate. Above him sits Buddha Shakyamuni flanked by the 13th Dalai Lama and a Buddhist teacher, and below him are further deities including Palden Lhamo and Gyalpo Pehar, some with identifying inscriptions.

Inscriptions: To the reverse, ‘Om ah Hum’ repeated five times.

Provenance: Collection of Herbert V. Guenther, received as a gift from the King of Bhutan, thence by descent within the same family. Herbert Vighnantaka Guenther (1917-2006) was a German Buddhist philosopher and scholar who moved to India in 1950, where he lived and taught until 1964. From 1950 to 1958, he was at Lucknow University, where he developed a deep friendship with Kailas Nath Kaul, a naturalist, ethnologist and philosopher. He then went to the Sanskrit University in Varanasi, where he was Head of the Department of Comparative Philosophy and Buddhist Studies from 1958 to 1963. Guenther was fortunate in studying with many prominent Tibetan and Mongolian lamas, and even met with the 14th Dalai Lama and Jigme Dorji, the 3rd Druk Gyalpo (‘Dragon King’) of Bhutan, from whom Guenther received the present thangka as a personal gift.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and soiling. The silk brocade frame with a tear below the painting. The roller ends are loose.

Dimensions: Image size 51 x 38.5 cm, Size incl. frame 113 x 72 cm

With a silk brocade frame and mounted as a hanging scroll. The scroll endings are made from nicely incised, silvered metal.

The 13th Dalai Lama, known as Thubten Gyatso (12 February 1876 – 17 December 1933) was enthroned during a turbulent era and the collapse of the Qing Dynasty. Referred to as "the Great Thirteenth", he is also known for redeclaring Tibet's national independence, and for his reform and modernization initiatives. Thubten Gyatso was an intellectual reformer and skillful politician. He was responsible for countering the British expedition to Tibet, restoring discipline in monastic life, and increasing the number of lay officials to avoid excessive power being placed in the hands of the monks.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related thangka of Thubten Gyatso at Bonham’s Hong Kong, 27 November 2014, lot 141, sold for HKD 350,000.

大黑天與十三世達賴喇嘛唐卡
西藏，約1900年。布面描金膠彩。憤怒相護法神雙腳踩在惡魔上，身後有燃燒的火焰光背，手裏拿著嘎巴啦碗和匕首。在他的前臂上托著一根甘地棒。 在他上方坐著釋迦牟尼佛，兩側是第十三世達賴喇嘛和一位佛教大師，在他下方是其他神像，包括吉祥天母和白哈爾神，並有款識。

款識：背面五次出現 ‘Om ah Hum’ 字樣

來源：Herbert V. Guenther私人收藏，受贈於不丹國王，自此保存於同一家族。Herbert Vighnantaka Guenther (1917-2006) 是一位德國佛教哲學家和學者，他于 1950 年移居印度，並在那裡生活和教書直到 1964 年。從 1950 年到 1958 年，他在Lucknow大學就讀期間與自然主義者、民族學家和哲學家 Kailas Nath Kaul 建立了深厚的友誼 。1958年至1963年，他前往瓦拉納西的梵文大學擔任比較哲學和佛教研究系主任。Guenther有幸與許多著名的西藏和蒙古喇嘛一起學習，甚至拜見了達賴喇嘛和第三代不丹國王晉美·多吉。Guenther 從他那裡受贈了唐卡作為個人禮物。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損和汙漬。絲織錦框，畫下方有撕裂。下軸杆鬆動。

尺寸：畫面51 x 38.5 厘米，總113 x 72 厘米

絲錦裝裱，立軸，軸杆兩端鎏銀並精美雕刻。

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近的十三世達賴喇嘛唐卡，見香港邦翰思2014年11月27日lot 141, 售價HKD 350,000。