A thangka of Satrig Ersang


Tibet, 19th centuryDistemper on cloth; holding twin lotus stems supporting a mirror and a prayer wheel, the Bon deity flanked by attendants at either side and surrounded by the two-hundred and fifty Enlightened Ones, verso inscribed in Tibetan. 85cm (33 1/2) x 67.5cm (26 1/2in)
|Provenance: Ravi Kumar, ParisFournier Collection, Paris, acquired from the above in the 1980'sJeff Watt explains that Bon religion is regarded as the original ritual, belief and faith system of Tibet and the Himalayan regions. Its founder is Tonpa Shenrab, whose followers believe to have lived between 8000 and 18,000 years ago.Included in the group of the Four Transcendent Lords and ranked first among them, Satrig Ersang is the principal female deity of the Bon religion; she is generally depicted as part of the group, therefore it is likely that the present lot would have been part of a larger set. In paintings she is generally depicted surrounded by the two hundred and fifty enlightened ones (Sanggye), all female. Each of the Lords is accompanied by a similar group, making a total of one thousand enlightened ones in the Bon religion.