The dharmapala Vaijrabhairava
Accession Nr.: | 54.240.1 |
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Type: | painting; textile; thangka |
Date of production: |
19th century
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Place of production: |
Materials: | cotton canvas |
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Techniques: | painted |
Dimensions: | height: 32 cm width: 26.3 cm |
A thangka without border depicting the blue-colored Dharmapala Vasrabhairava, the most common form of Yamantaka. He stands sideways, in a right-exit posture, in a jab-yum position with his feminine energy, Vajravetali. Of its nine heads, the middle one is an oversized bull's head, with three heads in a circle on each side and two more above the middle, and Manjusri's at the top. There are body parts, weapons and tantric symbols in his thirty-four hands. In the middle ones he holds skull cups filled with blood and axes. His red-dyed, upward hair is on fire and his head has the skull crown typical of wrathful gods, a third eye on his forehead. There are jewels on his naked body, and a garland of human heads around his neck. With his sixteen feet he tramples on living creatures. His feminine energy has a crown of skulls on her head, and a skull cup and an axe in her hands. Above him is Tsongkhapa and two lamas. Around him are peaceful and wrathful deities.