Votive initiation card (tsakali) with preaching Buddha Shakyamuni1000s · Study 2000.67

Context from the museum

Buddhism was introduced to Tibet in the 7th century, but the persecution that followed in the 9th and 10th centuries destroyed all artifacts of the period. Consequently the earliest existing Buddhist art from Tibet dates to the 11th and 12th centuries, the so-called period of the Second Diffusion of Buddhism, yet few 11th- or 12th-century paintings survive. This miniature painting is one of these rare paintings. Not a manuscript illustration, it was conceived as a separate votive painting, a so-called tsa-kal i. It was recovered from the Tholing Monastery, which was founded by Rinchensangpo (958-1055), the famous translator of Buddhist scriptures, who acted on the order of Yesheö, the king of Guge. Yesheö was also the father of "Lhatsun Nagaraja" (active 998-1026) whose name is inscribed on the museum's early Himalayan bronze statue of a Standing Buddha (1966.30)—one of the most important and beautiful Himalayan bronzes to survive. The museum's collection includes another important sculpture from the western Himalayas: the colorful wooden sculpture of a Seated Buddha (1986.6). The two sculptures date from the 11th century and provide a meaningful comparison with this painting, which replicates their style.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for Votive initiation card (tsakali) with preaching Buddha Shakyamuni is 10.7 cm wide and 11.6 cm high, equivalent to approximately 4.2 × 4.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.92:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.01 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 3.6% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 144.7 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Votive initiation card (tsakali) with preaching Buddha Shakyamuni in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 10.7 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?