Painting Set: Sakya Lineage -Tsodu Chenmo (Amezhab Set)
Sakya Monastery (Palace Museum, Beijing)Subjects & Topics:
Teacher: Jamgon Amnye Shab Ngagwang Kunga Sonam
"Jamgon Ame Zhap Ngawang Künga Sönam (A mes zhabs Ngag dbang kun dga’ bsod nams, 1597–1659), the 27th Sakya Trizin, was himself a major patron of religious art, who, according to his biography, employed no fewer than five painters simultaneously for his commissions. [...]
From Ame Zhap’s description, we learn that the main figures of the set’s individual paintings were Buddhist masters who, in India and Tibet, were very beneficial for the teachings of the Buddha in general and for the teachings of the Sakyapa in particular. As minor figures, he explains that he had depicted the lineage masters of the most important types of teachings—such as empowerments (dbang), guiding instructions (khrid), and esoteric instructions (man ngag)—out of the vast amount of teachings contained within the sūtras, tantras, and esoteric instructions, which he himself had received from his own principal teachers. Moreover, among the minor figures he also included depictions of buddhas, bodhisattvas, tutelary deities, peaceful and wrathful deities, protectors, and wealth deities.
In addition, Ame Zhap had depicted the same four minor figures in each painting: his grandfather and his three principal teachers:
1. Ngakchang Chökyi Gyelpo Ngakwang Künga Rinchen (sNgags ’chang Chos kyi rgyal po Ngag dbang kun dga’ rin chen, 1517–1584), Ame Zhap’s grandfather and 23rd throne holder of Sakya
2. Jamyang Sönam Wangpo (’Jam dbyangs bSod nams dbang po, 1559–1621), Ame Zhap’s uncle and 24th throne holder of Sakya
3. Nagkchang Drakpa Lodrö (sNgags ’chang Grags pa blo gros, 1563–1617), Ame Zhap’s father and 25th throne holder of Sakya
4. Müchen Sanggye Gyeltsen (Mus chen Sangs rgyas rgyal mtshan, 1542–1618), his principal teacher
Ame Zhap named the set “Tsodü Chenmo” (gTso bsdus chen mo), meaning possibly something like “The Great Set Consolidating the Principal Teachers.”
In his description, Ame Zhap specifies that his commission comprised thirty-five paintings with the size of one storey (thog tshad) and that it was consecrated in the first half of the sixth month (chu stod zla ba) of 1633, his thirty-seventh (i.e., thirty six) year. However, the colophon dates the catalogue describing the set to the twenty-sixth day of the fifth month (snron gyi zla ba) of that year, which would predate the consecration.3 Nevertheless, Ame Zhap’s biography also states that the consecration was performed in the sixth month (chu stod zla ba) of 1633, adding that a group of thirty monks, including Ame Zhap, performed the consecration, based on Hevajra. The biography also states that work on the set began around 1629, when Ame Zhap was thirty-three (i.e., thirty-two) years old and was completed in 1633, when he was thirty-seven (i.e., thirty-six)."
Complete List of Paintings based on Amezhab's Catalogue:
"1. Vajradhara (Center)
2. Buddha Śākyamuni (Right 1)
3. Amitābha (Left 2)
4. Nagārjuna
5. Padmasambhava
6. Virūpa (HAR)
7. Atiśa (982–1054)
8. Khön Könchok Gyelpo (’Khon dKon mchog rgyal po, 1034–1102)
9. Sachen Künga Nyingpo (Sa chen Kun dga’ snying po, 1092–1158)
10. Loppön Sönam Tsemo (Slob dpon bSod nams rtse mo, 1142–1182)
11. Jetsün Drakpa Gyeltsen (rJe btsun Grags pa rgyal mtshan, 1147–1216)
12. Sakya Paṇḍita Künga Gyeltsen (Sa skya Paṇḍita Kun dga’ rgyal mtshan, 1182–1251)
13. Chögyel Pakpa Lodrö Gyeltsen (Chos rgyal ’Phags pa Blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1235–1280)
14. Daknyi Chenpo Zangpo Pel (bDag nyid chen po bZang po dpal, 1262–1324)
15. Lama Dampa Sönam Gyeltsen (Bla ma dam pa bSod nams rgyal mtshan, 1312–1375)
16. Tekchen Chöje Künga Tashi (Theg chen Chos rje Kun dga’ bkra shis, 1349–1425) (HAR )
17. Yaktön Sanggye Pel (g.Yag ston Sangs rgyas dpal, 1348–1414)
18. Ngorchen Künga Zangpo (Ngor chen Kun dga’ bzang po, 1382–1456)
19. Rongtön Sheja Künrik (Rong ston Shes bya kun rig, 1367–1449)
20. Müchen Könchok Gyeltsen (Mus chen dKon mchog rgyal mtshan, 1388–1469)
21. Dakchen Gyagarwa Sherab Gyeltsen (bDag chen rGya gar ba Shes rab rgyal mtshan, 1436–1494)
22. Dakchen Lodrö Gyeltsen (bDag chen Blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1444–1495)
23. Gorampa Sönam Sengge (Go rams pa bSod nams seng ge, 1429–1489)
24. Gongkar Dorje Denpa Künga Namgyel (Gong dkar rDo rje gdan pa Kun dga’ rnam rgyal, 1432–1496)
25. Lowo Khenchen Sönam Lhündrup (Glo bo mKhan chen bSod nams lhun grub, 1456–1532)
26. Sanggye Rinchen (Sangs rgyas rin chen, 1453–1524)
27. Sakya Lotsāwa Künga Sönam (Sa skya Lo tsā ba Kun dga’ bsod nams, 1485–1533)
28. Könchok Lhündrup (dKon mchog lhun grub, 1497–1557)
29. Ngakchang Chökyi Gyelpo Ngakwang Künga Rinchen (sNgags ’chang Chos kyi rgyal po Ngag dbang kun dga’ rin chen, 1517–1584) (HAR)
30. Tsarchen Losel Gyatso (Tshar chen Blo gsal rgya mtsho, 1502–1566)
31. Chennga Jamyang Könchok Gyatso (sPyan snga ’Jam dbyangs dKon mchog rgya mtsho, 1510–1586)
32. Jamyang Sönam Wangpo (’Jam dbyangs bSod nams dbang po, 1559–1621)
33. Nagkchang Drakpa Lodrö (sNgags ’chang Grags pa blo gros, 1563–1617)
34. Müchen Sanggye Gyeltsen (Mus chen Sangs rgyas rgyal mtshan, 1542–1618)
35. Ame Zhap Ngawang Künga Sönam (A mes zhabs Ngag dbang kun dga’ bsod nams, 1597–1659) (HAR)
Source: Jorg Heimbel,
"Reconstructing the “Tsodü Chenmo” Painting Set Commissioned by Ame Zhap: Literary Evidence and Extant Paintings", 7-2026
