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The Fifth Dharma (Religious) King of Shambhala, Sureshvara (Divine King)
Tibetan
second half of the 17th century
Medium/Technique
Distemper on cotton
Dimensions
43.18 x 35.24 cm (17 x 13 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Denman Waldo Ross Collection
Accession Number06.324
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAsia
ClassificationsPaintings
DescriptionPainting in hanging scroll (thangka) format, with replacement streamers, veil, and decorative stitched borders.
The kings of Shambhala, a mythic region in Central Asia, are said to have practiced and taught a Buddhist system of belief known as the Kalachakra. Kalachakra is highly esteemed among Tibetan Buddhists (Lamaists), who celebrate the kings as major proponents of the religion. The fifth king of Shambhala is shown seated in a posture of ease on a draped throne in a mountainous setting. He is attended by servants who carry a lotus and a pictorial fan.
The kings of Shambhala, a mythic region in Central Asia, are said to have practiced and taught a Buddhist system of belief known as the Kalachakra. Kalachakra is highly esteemed among Tibetan Buddhists (Lamaists), who celebrate the kings as major proponents of the religion. The fifth king of Shambhala is shown seated in a posture of ease on a draped throne in a mountainous setting. He is attended by servants who carry a lotus and a pictorial fan.
Provenance1904, sold by Florine Langweil (b. 1861 – d. 1958), Paris, to Denman Waldo Ross (b. 1853 - d. 1935), Cambridge, MA; 1906, gift of Ross to the MFA. (Accession Date: March 8, 1906)