19th C. Tibetan Dazi Silk Thangka - Sititara

Central Asia, Tibet, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. Created using the painstaking Dazi-stitch technique, this stunning silk tapestry depicts the White Tara Bodhisattva. Known as Sititara or the 'mother of liberation,' the White Tara is the spiritual embodiment of kindness, compassion, and purity. Here, she is displayed serenely seated upon a lotus base in the lotus position, beneath a parasol, and surrounded by a shimmering nimbus, lovely peonies, and a cerulean sky backdrop. Below her hovering visage is a majestic landscape graced with rocky outcroppings, flowing grassy hills, distant mountain peaks, and a myriad of flora and fauna. Beautiful polychromatic clouds float below the Tara, and their vibrant palette blends effortlessly into the salmon and citrine hues of her streaming sash. Tibetan script can be seen in the lower left-hand corner and translates to "White Tara." Size: 28" W x 36.5" H (71.1 cm x 92.7 cm) with the border; Size: 25" W x 33.75" H (63.5 cm x 85.7 cm) without the border.

The Dazi (Forbidden stitch or Blind stitch) refers to the knotted stitches used in conjunction with satin stitches that were reserved for the most exquisite, finely crafted silk costumes, robes, and rank badges. One romantic legend offers that the alternative term Blind stitch arose because embroidering with this stitch gave young girls eye strain due to its fineness and intricacy. Whether called the Dazi stitch, Forbidden stitch, or Blind stitch, these all involve making small knots on the fabric surface by wrapping a heavy embroidery thread, typically silk floss, around a needle and then stitching it down. Embroiderers have done this with varying numbers of wrappings and a wide range of complexity. According to expert Wang Yarong, more than twenty varieties of knot stitch have been found in an Eastern Han Dynasty tomb at Nuoyinwula, Outer Mongolia, and even earlier examples on a pair of silk shoes were discovered in a tomb of the Warring States period in the Linzi, Shandong Province.

For further information see: Meulenbeld, Ben. Buddhist Symbolism in Tibetan Thangkas: The Story of Siddhartha and Other Buddhas Interpreted in Modern Nepalese Painting. Havelte, Holland: Binkey Kok Publications, 2004. Print.

Provenance: private Bricker Collection, USA

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#124145
Condition Report: Minor fraying and wear along peripheries of border; slight discoloration to border commensurate with age; a loose thread on the inner blue section of the nimbus, otherwise overall excellent and simply stunning.