Golden
mandala inlaid with coral and turquoise
Tibetan, datable to 1652
38.6 x 27.4 cm
This splendid mandala is stored in a refined leather container
made in the Ch'ien-lung reign (1736-1795). Inside
the container cover is a label of white fine
silk that records in four languages (Manchu,
Chinese, Mongolian, and Tibetan) an important
historical event of the Ch'ing dynasty. The
mandala was offered to the Hsi-huang Temple
and had been brought to the court by the Fifth
Dalai Lama via Hsi-ning and Inner Mongolia in
1652, during the reign of the K'ang-hsi Emperor.
The early
Ch'ing emperors were very knowledgeable in the
ways of ruling, so they knew how to use the
power of religion to win over other peoples.
Before the 17th century, Tibetan
Buddhism had already become the religion of
the Manchus and was transmitted among Mongolian
tribes. The Ch'ing court further promoted Tibetan
Buddhism and, after the 17th century,
made it the most common belief system among
Tibetan, Mongolian, and Manchu tribes in order
to hold them together and keep harmony. This
mandala, against this backdrop of interaction
between religion and politics, therefore has
particular significance. On one hand, the Ch'ing
court received the blessings of the Dalai Lama
from Tibet, confirming the mutual friendship
between these two regions, which also spilled
over to Mongol tribes. On the other hand, the
Dalai Lama was able to spread his Yellow Hat
sect eastward and popularize it with the support
of the Ch'ing court, thereby stabilizing his
religious and political status in Tibet.
The mandala,
known as a kilkhor in Tibetan, is a circular
symbol of the Buddhist universe. The top of
the cover of this mandala is composed of evenly
cut and graded pieces of turquoise divided into
tiers and shapes piled and inlaid. Mount Sumeru
appears at the center of the universe and is
symbolically represented here with a great continent
in each of the four directions. Encircling the
rim are pieces of large, round, colorfully red
coral. The wall of the mandala is done in repousse
low-relief sculpting from the reverse, creating
decoration of fine stalks of lotus with Buddhist
treasures. The rims are finely worked in a variety
of manners. Regardless of technique or materials,
this work represents a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
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