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Bhavachakra / Wheel of Life Thangka, Linen, Tibet, Himalayan Region, ca. 1890 – 1905.

REGISTERED ANTIQUITY – NON-EXPORTABLE ITEM.

 

Object Detail

 

This Thangka depicts the Bhavachakra, which refers to the ‘Wheel of Life or Wheel of Samsara.’ The wheel of life painting graphically illustrates the Buddha’s teaching on impermanence, suffering, karma, death, and rebirth into one of the six realms of cyclic existence, and the twelve links of dependent origination.

 

The large figure of Yama, the Lord of Death, is striking with its red and orange colours. Yama holds the circular wheel of existence near its mouth, ready to swallow it at any moment. This represents how quickly things can change or end. At the centre of the wheel are the three poisons, vividly represented by three animals: a black pig, symbolising ignorance; a venomous snake, embodying anger; and a fierce rooster, signifying desire. These creatures are the fundamental sources of suffering in life, tirelessly driving the wheel of existence.

 

The Second Layer of the wheel illustrates the concept of Karma, depicting the results of one’s actions. On the left half, it portrays beings ascending to higher realms, symbolising the positive outcomes of virtuous actions. Conversely, the right half shows beings descending into lower realms, highlighting the negative consequences of non-virtuous actions. Outside of that is a circle of five sections portraying the six realms of existence: god, asura, human, animal, ghost and hell. All of these sectors represent the level of suffering in terms of birth.

 

The outermost circle is composed of 12 scenes, which represent a chain of cause and effect, a blind man guided by a stick (depicts ignorance), a potter (depicts mental formations), monkey (depicts consciousness based on causality), travelling in a boat (depicts name and form), an empty house with windows (depicts the six senses), a couple embracing (depicts contact), an arrow in the eye (depicts sensation), drinking alcohol (depicts craving), a monkey picking fruit (depicts grasping), a couple joined in intercourse (depicts becoming), a woman giving birth (depicts birth), and a figure carrying a bundled up corpse to the funeral pyre (depicts old age and death). At the top right and left of the painting, the pair of Buddhas is standing, pointing to a moon. The moon symbolises liberation. Buddha is pointing out that freedom from pain is possible.

 

 

Provenance

 

From a Private Collection in Mumbai, India.

 

Condition 

 

Good Condition with minor wear.

 

Dimension

 

66 x 44 cm

 

Literature Comparison

 

1.Deepak Dong Tamang, “A Comparative Study of Bhavacakra Painting.” Historical Journal 12, no. 1 (2020): 60–70, https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/hj/article/download/35447/27934.

 

2.Sacred Arts of Tibet: Art from the Roof of the World, Educator Workshop presented by the Asian Art Museum, Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture, April 21, 2001.

 

3.”Wheel of Life,” Himalayan Art Resources, accessed August 1, 2025, https://www.himalayanart.org/search/set.cfm?setID=6023.

 

4.Artist/maker unknown, Bhavacakra, The Wheel of Existence, 19th or early 20th century; colors on cloth mounted on cloth; image painted surface approx. 110.5 × 80 cm (overall 111.4 × 188.6 cm); Gift of Mrs. George S. G. Cavendish, 1961; Accession No. 19612252; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia.

 

 

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