VERTICAL THANGKA in tempera and gold highlights on cotton canvas, depicting the arhat Subhuti dressed as a monk, seated on the banks of a river populated by "naga" (snake men), a scorpion and several garuda hunting snakes. Beneath the arhat are the four 'lokapala' (guardian kings of the directions). A Tibetan inscription in gold on a red background along the lower edge indicates that this is the arhat Rabjor (Subhuti) facing the "Thubpa" (the sage, the epithet of Shakyamuni Buddha), describing the scene. (Wear). Tibet, 18th century. A VERTICAL THANGKA OF SUBHUTI, INK AND COLOURS ON CLOTH, TIBET, 18TH CENTURY. DIM. (VIEW) 67 X 43 CM (26 3/8 X 16 15/16 IN.) NOTE This description of the arhat Rabjor/Subhuti is in fact one of the incarnations of the Panchen Lama. This thangka would have belonged to a set of thirteen paintings depicting the thirteen incarnations of the hierarch.