The God of the Sun, appliqué thangka

Mongolian Collection

Accession Nr.: 2004.76.1
Type: textile; religious or cult object; thangka
Date of production:
turn of the 19th and 20th century
Place of production:
Materials: brocade; silk
Techniques: applied
Dimensions: frame:
height: 271 cm
width: 147 cm
The attached inscription helps to identify the deity in the picture. The Sun God (Tib.: nyi ma) is depicted according to the rules of iconography. He stands on a lotus throne, which emerges from the rising from a green land surrounded by white swans swimming on a blue lake. He is in standing position, wears princely attire and precious stone ornaments. Above his right shoulder is a sacred book on a yellow lotus, above it is an orange Sun disk. It is surrounded by a landscape of brown and white mountains, clouds, the Sun and the Moon in the background. The frame of the appliquéd thangka is tobacco brown silk, with red medallions woven into it and repeated lucky symbols (bat, peach, money wreath), symbols of long life and plant ornamentation. Directly below the picture in the center are two elephants embroidered with geometric and ornamental patterns on a yellowish background. The dust curtain of the thangka, made of linen and silk, consists of several layers.