Description (Physical description)
Published in the MAA Textiles project website:
"Thangka. Tibet or China. Late eighteenth or early twentieth century
Large central figure of the Buddha in a teaching pose, perhaps the Buddha Dipankara, surrounded by various Buddhist figures. In the top line are Buddhist hierarchs two of which are named rJe Ri gang pa and Zhu ldan. To the Buddha’s right is probably the Bodhisattva Padmapani (also known as Avalokiteshvara) holding a lotus in his hands and to the left is Vajrapani holding a vajra sceptre (a symbol of the basic unity which underlies duality). There are four figures who appear to be Arhats or Buddhist elders above and below them. The figures at the bottom corners are probably the goddess of earth on a boar and an astrological figure on a bull.
"The style of the painting shows a strong Chinese influence. 119 cm x 81 cm.
"Collected by Lt-Col. L.A. Waddell during the 1904 Younghusband Expedition and donated by the Indian Government."

Event Date
Author: Mark Elliott

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Context (Related Documents)
The B prefix on the Tibetan thangkas refers to the B Register, or Books (and photographs) register, now held in the Haddon Library. This dates to the time when the Haddon Library was part of the Museum. When the institutions separated, most of the items in the register were transferred to the library and the old numbers ‘lost’, but some objects stayed at MAA.
Event Date 19/10/1905
Author: Remke Velden

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Context (Related Documents)
Recorded in the Books Register vol. 2 (1903-1908), p. 78:

1905.300-303. Four picture scrolls: one/painted on satin (44” x 22”.5), representing/the “Four-handed Avalokita”; and three/on canvas: one, “Buddha preaching/the Law” (46” x 26”); and one ? the/“Adoration of Buddah [sic]” (50” x 26”); and/one ? subject (53”.5 x 25). The Government of India.

[Manuscript note on piece of lined paper pasted into page]:
"4 Picture scrolls | Tibet | Colld by Lieut.Colonel Waddell |(Archaeologist to Tibetan Mission) |1904. |Presd. by the Government of India | Rcd. through Sch [Sd.] H.G. Stokes. Deputy Scy. to G. of. I. | Bt. [?or Rd] from W. Jenkinson | Oct.19.1905'.
Event Date 19/10/1905
Author: Mark Elliott

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Context (Related Documents)
Museum of General and Local Archaeology and of Ethnology. Twenty-first Annual Report of the Antiquarian Committee to the Senate, May 31 1906:
"The best thanks of the committee are due to the Government f India for the presentation of four beautifully executed picture-scrolls of religious subjects, which were obtained during the late Mission t Tibet by Lieut.-Colonel Waddell, the archaeologist to the Mission." (p.5)

V. PHOTOGRPHS, PRINTS, AND DRAWINGS.
‘1368-1371. Four picture scrolls, bearing religious subjects, from Tibetan temples. One is painted on satin and three on cloth (44” x 22”.5 and 53”.5 x 25”) Collected by Lieut. –Colonel L.A. Waddell, C.I.E., Archaeologist to the Tibetan Mission, 1903. The Government of India.’ (p.23)

Event Date 31/5/1906
Author: Mark Elliott

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Context (References)
The Accession Record for this item is in the Books Register, volume 2, 1903-1908, now held in the Haddon Library. John Pickles notes that "This volume is the second of 3 similarly bound. It covers the years 1903-08. Note the letters tipped in at p.148. JDP [John Pickles] 1988."
Event Date 1988
Author: Mark Elliott

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Context (Amendments / updates)
I have been unable to trace this number in the accessions register and Annual Report (Alison McKeating, February 1995); Collected by: Waddell.L.A;

Event Date 2/1995
Author: Remke Velden

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Description (Physical description)
Seen by Daniel Quall King, 2001 and described as "Shakyamuni, dharmachakra mudra, and fourteen other figures, 765 x 650mm [size of central image without the border]. Waddell etc."

Event Date 2001
Author: Mark Elliott

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Context (Amendments / updates)
"These tankg-ka do not appear to have ever been accessioned as there is no trace of them in the Accession Registers and the numbers they have been allocated belong to other objects. The only place where they are mentioned is in the Annual Report for 1905 in the introductory text, where it is stated that they have been given to the Museum by the Indian Government. J.Somerville 4/4/2005.' [transcribed from CMS Record]
Event Date 4/4/2005
Author: Mark Elliott

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Description (Physical description)
Seen by Karma Phuntsho on 3 December 2006 and described as follows:
"The central figure is the Buddha in teaching gesture. It is perhaps Buddha Dipankara. In the top line are Buddhist hierarchs two of which are named rJe Ri gang pa and Zhu ldan. To the Buddha’s right is perhaps the Bodhisattva Padmapani (=Avalokiteshvara) holding lotus in his hands and to the left Vajrapani holding a sceptre like the shape of vajra. There are four figures who seem to be Arhats or Buddhist elders above and below them. At the bottom are an astrological (?) figure on a bull and the goddess of earth (?) on a boar. The painting shows heavy Chinese influence. It may have belonged to set of thangkas depicting the Buddhas of three times and sixteen or eighteen Arhats.
18-19th century"


Event Date 12/3/2006
Author: Mark Elliott

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Description (Physical description)
Seen by Teresa Heady on 7 February 2014 and described as follows:
"It puzzled me especially what the two historians had written about it. I think it is a combination of many styles, but most definitely painted in Southern central Tibet with a colour palette that is heavily influenced by Newar or Nepalese style. I scanned my books for images that could be related to it and only found images that were from a badly written and subject to a degree of scepticism in a book produced in China for the Tibet Museum in Lhasa. I will attempt to send you the images.
"I found that the style is Chinese only in that the throne that is used is Chinese in style. Some of the flowers are slightly Chinese in style but the rest of the Thangka has the colour palette of the Nepalese region. The arrangement of the deities is like thangkas in a central Tibetan arrangement. I found that the Daoist type robe that Buddha wears is found in Tibet as early as the 13th century, there is an actual costume similar to this in the catalogue I found stating it is from the 13th century (if this can be believed). I found two thangkas with similar robes, also stating that they are Nepalese influenced from Southern central Tibet. I can not find any that are exact, but the faces of the deities are definitely more Nepali and almost Indian then they are Chinese. The line down the Buddha's nose is also more Nepali but has been found in Chinese influenced thangkas. It is a very common way of depiction in Japan also.
"My conclusion is that it was most likely produced in central Tibet with several artists from different stylistic areas. I could be wrong but it just doesn't say China to me at all. Sadly a gut level reasoning more then one that I can prove conclusively.
"This is as far as I have been able to go with out more sources to look at. I have the images from the cat. but cannot seem to download them. I will send the cat. reference tomorrow and will try and retake the images so I can send them to you. I would seek further information on that one, I would suggest you send an image to John Clarke at the V&A. I am sure he will be able to help with that one and all the others if you need more info.
Notes:
Beautiful, but has lots of problems.
Definitely Newar in style, especially the aureole around the Buddha. [All thang ka designs came from the Kathmandu valley].
Very nicely painted faces – quite Indian?
Long white stain running diagonally down left side of image: Water stain or bird shit? Bird shit has a tendency to bind to the pigments. Very acidic; moreso even than fly specks.
The whole piece has been subjected to a lot of moisture. Buddha is wearing a traditional Taoist patchwork robe, with a highly decorated border: folded so that it looks like it is made of lots of different pieces – patchwork for poor and ascetics.
Someone has obviously tried to remove the streak of bird poo – mechanically.

Event Date 7/2/2014
Author: Mark Elliott

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Description (Physical description)
Published in Diemberger, Elliott & Clemente 2014, p.50:
Thangka of Mahavairocana
Mark Elliott and Filippo Lunardo
“The Cambridge altar is dominated by three thangka (thang ka), or scroll paintings, collected by Waddell on Younghusband’s Mission to Tibet in 1904. This thangka depicts the celestial Buddha Mahavairocana, a form of Vairocana. This representation is typical of Śakyamuni. He wears the patchwork saffron robe of the monk, suggesting poverty and humility. He sits in the vajrasana, or diamond posture, beneath a richly decorated canopy and on a rich throne decorated with jewels and lions that link him to the Lion of the Śakya people, Śakyamuni. The throne is in turn supported by a multi- coloured lotus and a moon disc.
“Mahavairocana has a white complexion and his hands are in dharmacakramudra, the gesture of the turning of the wheel of the Dharma, or preaching.
A rounded halo surrounds the body and a rounded nimbus surrounds the head; inside the two circles are flower and leaf decorative motifs in blue and green hue. Halo and nimbus are edged with golden flames. On the sides of Vairocana stand two bodhisattvas, probably Nivaraṇa-viṣkambhin on the left and Akaśagarbha on the right, both with white complexion, seated on a lotus in the posture known as lilasana; above the two bodhisattvas are two arhats, or elders: Bakula on the left, with the mongoose, and Jnaputra Rāhula with the crown in his hands. Above these two figures are a group of four teachers, probably linked to the Sakyapa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism (two of which are named Je Rigangpa and Shulden). At the sides of the throne are two of the eight deities linked to the god Jambhala: Badidara and Samjneya and, below, two other gods: a white one, probably Ishana, one of the protectors of the ten directions, on a bull with a trident in the right hand, and a yellow-brownish one, probably the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, on an elephant with a flask in the left hand.

Painting on textile. Length 119 cm
Tibet. 16th-17th century.
Collected by Lt-Col. Laurence A. Waddell on the British Expedition to Tibet, 1904.
Donated by the Government of India, 1905.
B 1905.301

Event Date 28/5/2014
Author: Mark Elliott

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Context (Display)
Exhibited in 'Buddha's Word: The Life of Books in Tibet and Beyond'. Li Ka Shing Gallery, 28th May 2014 - 17th January 2015. Caption: '2. Thangka of Mahavairochana The Buddha wears the patchwork robe of the monk, signifying poverty and humility. He makes the gesture of 'turning the wheel of law', or teaching, called dharmachakra mudra. This is manifestation of the celestial Buddha Mahavairochana in the form of Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, calls attention to the multiplicity and interconnectedness of representation in Tibetan Buddhism, experienced as continual cross-reference.
Tibet. 16th-17th century Collected by Lt-Col. Laurence A. Waddell, British Expedition to Tibet, 1904. Donated by the Government of India, 1905. B 1905.301'.
Event Date 28/5/2014
Author: Remke Velden

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Description (Physical description)
Scroll; wall hanging; banner; Thang-ka - Picture scroll depicting religious subjects.

'Scroll marked B 1905.301 has a label attached which reads "B 1905.301 A Buddah preaching the Law, picture scroll, Tibet. (Obtained during the recent mission by Lt.Col Waddell) The Government of India, 1905." More recent label reads "1905.301 picture scroll religious subject Tibet. Col. Lt Col.A. Waddell. arch to Tibetan Mission 1903."
'Researcher Daniel Quall King (2001) states:
1905.301 Shakyamuni, dharmachakra mudra, and fourteen other figures, 765 x 650mm [size of central image without the border]. Waddell etc. J.Somerville 5/4/2005.'
Event Date 9/8/2016
Author: Remke Velden

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Description (Physical description)
Scroll painting (thangka) of the celestial Buddha, Mahavairocana, wearing the patchwork saffron robe of a monk to suggest humility and seated in the diamond posture with hands in the dharmachakramudra, or turning of the wheel of Dharma.
Event Date 29/3/2018
Author: Mark Elliott