A TIBETAN THANKA OF THE WHEEL OF LIFE, BHAVACAKRA

19TH/20TH CENTURY

Depicting the Wheel of Life held in the mouth and hands of Mahakala, the Hindu God of Time, Destruction and Power, comprising: six sections representing various levels, surrounded by different sections with figures engaged in various pursuits and gory scenes, all within silk borders,137cm x 81cm.

Provenance: from the collection of Lieutenant Colonel W D Francis OBE, who served in Central Asia, including in the Kurram Militia, during the early 20th century. He was awarded an OBE in 1946.

The Bhavacakra is one of the visual representations of Buddhist teachings. The central roundel depicts the cycle of existence, the three animals: cockerel, hog and serpent represent passion, ignorance and anger, encircled by bright and dark semicircles symbolising karma, the six divided sections represent Samsara, the six realms of existence, within a border illustrating Pratityasamutpada, the dependent arising.