Devotion & Protection - Miniature Thangkas From Mongolia and Buriatia

Devotion & Protection Miniature Thangkas From Mongolia And Buriatia

W E I

A S I A N

A R T S

Oriental Art & Antiques

W E I

A S I A N

A R T S

Oriental Art & Antiques Paola D’Alatri and Howard Wei 5 rue van Moer - Sablon B-1000 Brussels Belgium Tel: + 32 2 503 58 35 + 32 485 96 06 95 weiasianarts@skynet.be www.asianart.com/wei

We collected these outstanding miniature paintings over the last 15 years. Most of them are from Mongolia, some are from Buriatia, originally in an old Belgian private collection.

Buriatia is located between Mongolia and lake Baikal in the East of Siberia and was the northern frontier of Buddhism in Asia already in the 17th century.

Miniature paintings are found in both Tibetan and Mongolian culture and are iconographically related to the larger Buddhist temple paintings, called thangka. Miniature paintings are portable icons and were often housed in gau’s, amulet boxes worn around the neck or placed on the altar of the house or on personal altars. Both monks and nomads wore them for protection and prayer. A gau also contains sets of magical amulets, parts of sutras and printed charms. Some of the miniature paintings presented in this catalogue are still set inside such portable shrines.

The protective deities depicted are generally derived from the TIbetan Buddhist pantheon starting with Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, and including the wrathful manifestation of deities, such as Hayagriva, Yamantaka, Vajrapani and the many forms of Mahakala, as well as peaceful, protective and nurturing deities such as Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, Green and White Tara. Historical figures and respected lamas – TsongKapa, PadmaSambhava - from the main Buddhist sects are also often represented. We have chosen to utilize the more familiar Sanskrit names of the various deities represented in the miniatures rather then their Mongolian name.

An Exhibition For Sale Friday 15th March 2013 to Saturday 23rd March 2013 Open House Weekend 16th -17th March 2013 Venue

Trinity House Paintings Second Floor 24 East 64th Street New York City NY 10065 T (212) 813 0700 M +32 485 960695

Most of these miniatures are painted on coated cotton support with powdered mineral pigments mixed with hide glue, some details are highlighted in gold or silver. On the reverse of the images the name of the deity, a prayer or the sacred syllables “Om Ah Hum” are often written in Tibetan script.

Earth and Sky (Father and Mother of All Creatures in Mongolian Shamanism) are well present as a background to the paintings, main elements of the natural environment familiar to the Mongolian nomad herders.

Tibetan Buddhism was introduced from Mongolia into Russia and Buriatia in the 17th century.

Buriat artists followed the established iconographical canons with a peculiar approach. The main characteristics of their style was “...the strict symmetrical arrangement of all elements of the composition... triangular pockets of dark blue water... low mossy hills of the taiga occasionnally covered with pine trees... distinctive linear or cumulus clouds floating above them...the rich and varied textile designs...” (cfr: Art of Buriatia: Buddhist icons from Southern Siberia, Spink 1996). Water, symbolizing Lake Baikal, has a very important presence in these miniatures.

In preparing this catalogue, we have made use of iconographic data from the website curated

by Jeff Watt: http://www.himalayanart.org. We could not have found better and more accurate descriptions in any other publication.

Ushnishavijaya in a golden stupa

4

13 cm * 17,5 cm Buriatia early XIX century

The painting represents Ushnishavijaya, the goddess of wisdom and longevity, whose name refers to the Buddha’s supernatural cranial protuberance (ushnisha).

She is one of three deities associated with longevity and the fulfillment of earthly desires.

She has three faces and eight arms and carries a small image of Buddha in one of her hands.The three faces symbolize the elimination of all mishaps (central white face); her compassion for all beings (yellow) and her power over ignorance (blue). She sits on a single lotus seat within a large golden stupa representation of the enlightened mind of Buddha. This iconography is traditionally associated with Ushinishavijaya.

The other two longevity deities, Amitayus and White Tara are shown sitting in lotus position in the upper part of the painting. Amitayus has a coral red body and holds the long-life vase. White Tara has a white body and young lovely face, the righ hand is in varada mudra and the left hand holds the stem of a lotus flower.

At their sides two pair of young attendants carry ornated Buddhist parasols and banners to protect and honour them.

Stupa, Vajrapani and Avalokiteshvara

6

7 cm * 8 cm Mongolia XVIII century

Three equally important deities compose this small thangka: in the upper part a golden stupa, reliquary symbolizing Buddha and at the bottom a fierce Vajrapani (symbol of the power of all Buddhas) and a four armed Avalokitesvara (symbol of Buddha’s compassion).

Avalokiteshvara is the patron bodhisattva of Tibet and included in all Buddhist traditions as both a bodhisattva and meditational deity.

Buddha Shakyamuni

8

9 cm * 11 cm Mongolia XVIII century

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni, founder of Buddhism, is sitting in vajra posture on a lotus throne; his right arm is extended across the knee with the fingertips of the hand touching the ground in the mudra of Earth Witness, the left hand held in the lap in the mudra of meditation supports a black alms bowl. Across the left shoulder is a saffron coloured patchwork robe. A similar lower garment is tied at the waist with a cloth belt.

The Buddha eyes are partially closed and the blueblack hair adorned with a gold ornament. Between the eyebrows is a white dot (urna) and adorning the neck are three curved horizontal lines. The earlobes are long and pierced.

Buddha Shakyamuni surrounded by eight stupa

10

8 cm * 10 cm Mongolia early XIX century

Buddha Shakyamuni is shown sitting on a lotus throne with his right arm extended across the knee, the fingertips of the hand touch the ground in the mudra of Earth Witness. The left hand held in the lap in the mudra of meditation supports a black begging bowl.

He is surrounded by eight golden stupas commemorating the major events of his life.

Buddha Shakyamuni is accompanied by his two principal Mahayana students, Shariputra and Madgalayana, both holding a begging bowl in their hand.

At the bottom of the painting Heruka is represented in mystical union (yab-yum) with his partner.

Buddha Amithaba in the Western Sukhavati Paradise

12

11 cm * 13 cm Mongolia XIX century

Buddha Amitabha holding a beggar bowl is placed at the center of the Western Paradise where he resides.

He is sitting in the middle of a palace surrounded by eight bodhisattvas. Just below a group of monks are sitting next to a pond where meritorious beings are emerging from lotus blossoms.

Five representations of Buddha blessing and teaching are found at the fours corners and at the bottom of the painting.

Buddha Shakyamuni in a temple

14

8,5 cm * 9,5 cm Mongolia XIX century

Buddha Shakyamuni is represented here as the famous venerated sculpture still kept at the Jowo Lhakang in Lhasa, Tibet.

Buddha Shakyamuni is seated on a lotus base with his right hand lowered in the earth touching mudra, his left hand in his lap holding a black begging bowl. He is adorned with elaborate jewellery, dressed in rich brocade robes and a large embroidered collar. The legs are folded in vajra posture above the moon disc.

The Buddha is shown inside a red and gold painted palace with pillars decorated with dragons. The palace is in the style of Buddhist temples in Mongolia.

Gelugpa LineageTree

16

12,5 cm * 16 cm Mongolia XIX century

This miniature presents the hierarchy of the pantheon of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) sect.

Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), founder of the Gelugpa tradition, sits at the top of the tree. Seated on lotuses in rows beneath him are: five of his disciples; the main Gelugpa yidam deities and the main protectors in the bottom row. Directly above Tsongkhapa are the main gurus of the Tantric lineage, and seated amidst clouds to his right and left sides are group of teachers. In the upper corners are Maitreya’s paradise of Tushita, and Amitabha’s paradise of Sukhavati; and upon the smaller clouds are Indian mahasiddhas, manifestations of Tsongkhapa, and early Kadampa gurus. At the bottom of the painting devotees are represented in the act of making offers of mandala, jewels and auspicious symbols.

Tsonkhapa and main disciples

18

9,7 cm * 11,5 cm Mongolia early XIX century

Tsonkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa School, is depicted with his two main disciples Khaidup and Jaltshab and a unidentified lama monk at his side.

On the top part of the painting are depicted five main Bodhisattva (Manjusri, Avalokiteshvara, White and Green Tara).

At the bottom from left to right: Yama and his sister Yami, Hayagriva and Vajrapani.

Manjusri

20

14,5 cm * 18,5 cm Mongolia XIX century

Manjusri, bodhisattva of wisdom, carries a flaming sword to cut through ignorance and a lotus flower with the Prajnaparamita Sutra, symbol of his embodiment of wisdom.

Two representations of Skakyamuni and Amithaba Buddha are painted in the top part of the image and Green Tara, a fine golden stupa reliquary and Vajrapani in the bottom part.

Green Tara

22

12,8 cm * 16 cm Mongolia XIX century

Tara was born from the tears of the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara.

In this miniature, Green Tara is presented in her 21 main forms; each form has a specific color and accomplishes a special actitvity. All the Tara appear in the same posture sititng on a lotus disc with equal faces and hands but differ in the color of the body; the colors are symbols for different kind of activituies: pacifying (white), enriching (yellow), subjugating (red).

Ekadasamukha Avalokiteshvara

24

12 cm * 14 cm Mongolia XIX century

Avalokiteshvara, bodhisattva of compassion, is the patron bodhisattva of Tibet.

The peaceful deity it is represented with eleven faces and eight hands. Necklaces, bracelets and precious jewels and coloured scarves adorn the white body.

Avalokiteshvara is standing on a lotus and is surrounded by a large multicoloured and golden halo.

The main face is white, the other green and red. The 10th face is wrathful, the one on top is that of Buddha Amithaba. He holds in the hands a lotus blossom, a Dharma wheel, a bow and arrow, a rosary and a water vase.

Two standing deities,Tara and Bhrikuti, are at his side.

White Old Man

26

8 cm * 9,8 cm Buriatia Early XIX century

The White Old Man is a longevity god responsible for the fertility of people and animals. Lord of Life and Death he notes the sins of humans.

Originally a native Mongolian shaman spirit, he borrowed elements ( the deer and the oversized cranium) of Shoulao, Taoist god of longevity, in the XVII century.

The White Old Man (Sagaan Ubgen) is a deity venerated by white shamans in Buriatia. In this miniature he sits in a landscape of montains and water accompanied by a deer and acquatic birds.

This deity is not present in the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon and is only venerated in Mongolia and Buriatia.

Mo Lha - The Five Spirits of Destiny

28

7 cm * 9,5 cm Mongolia XIX century

The Five Spirit of Destiny have a shamanist, preBuddhist Origin.

“The Female Deity” (Mo lha), at the center, rides a hind and holds an arrow with one hand and a mirror in the other.

She is surrounded by four other spirits: “The Life Deity” (Srog Lha) a middle-aged male also holding a spear with silk streamers and a lasso. “The Male Deity” (Po Lha) a youthful male holding a bucket filled with precious gems.

“The Regional Deity” (Yul Lha) holds a bow and arrow.

“The Enemy Deity” (Dra Lha) has his head bound with silk.

Various animals: camels, goats, horses and sheeps, together with a tiger and a snow lion are also depicted.

At the top of the image we find Vajrapani.

Simhamukha

30

7,5 cm * 9,6 cm Buriatia early XIX century

Simhamukha Dakini along with her two attendants. « …With a body dark blue in colour, she has one face that of a white lion, three red round eyes blazing fiercely with a gaping mouth, a green beard, eyebrows and hair flowing upward. The right hand holds aloft a curved knife to the sky, left a skullcup of blood to the heart, carrying a khatvanga staff tipped with a trident in the bend of the elbow. Adorned with a tiara of five skulls, red scarf, elephant skin, bone ornaments, a long snake and fifty freshly severed heads as a necklace, she wears a tiger skin skirt. Trampling on a corpse with the left foot, above a sun disc and pink lotus blossom, she stands with the right leg drawn up, in a mood of great fierceness dwelling in the middle of a blazing fire of pristine awareness…. » (cfr: www.himalayanart.org) At the bottom left is Vyaghramukha 'Tiger Faced' dakini in the same appearance as the central figure except wearing a leopard skin skirt. At the bottom right is Rikshamukha 'Bear Faced' dakini, also in the same appearance.

Simhamukha

32

6,5 cm * 7 cm Mongolia XIX century

Simhamukha 7,4 cm * 8,3 cm Mongolia early XIX century

Chakrasamvara with the consort Vajravarahi

34

7,2 cm * 9,4 cm Mongolia early XVIII century

Chakrasamvara, a meditional deity, can be represented in many forms.

In this painting Chakrasamvara has four faces of different colours and twelve arms, he is blue in colour, and stands on two legs. Each head has a crown of five dry human skulls. Chakrasamvara wears a necklace of fifty fresh heads and bone ornaments above a tiger skin garment.

He embraces with the first pair of arms his female consort Vajrayogini. She has one face and two hands, is red in colour, and wraps both legs around the male figure. In his hands he holds a vajra and bell.

In his other hands Chakrasavara holds: an elephant skin out-stretched, an axe, a trident, a curved knife, a katvanga marked with a vajra, a vajra noose, a blood filled skullcup, the four-faced head of Brahma.

Both deities stand in the middle of an orange fire of pristine awareness.

At the bottom of the painting from left to right: Yama and his sister Yami, a four faced representation of Mahakala and Shri Devi.

Vajrayogini in an amulet box

36

8 cm * 9 cm (with box) Buriatia XIX century

Vajrayogini, a female deity. She is red in colour with one face, she holds a curved knife in the right hand and a skullcup upraised in the left hand. Resting on her left shoulder is a katvanga staff.

She stands on the bodies of red Kalaratri and black Bhairava, representing ego and ignorance, above a sun disc.

Adorned with a tiara of skulls and gold, jewel and bone ornaments, she wears a necklace of fifty dry skulls.

Completely surrounded by the flames of pristine awareness she looks up to the pure realm of Khechara and drinks the blood of wisdom from the skullcup in the left hand.

Vajravarahi in an amulet box 8,5 cm * 10,5 cm (with box)

38

Buriatia XIX century

Vajravarahi is red in colour with one face, three eyes and dark yellow hair, on the top of her tiara stands a black boar’s head.

She has a fierce expression, slightly peaceful and slightly wrathful. Her right hand holds a curved knife with a gold vajra handle and the left to the heart a white skullcup. In the bend of the left elbow stands a tantric katvanga staff.

Adorned with a tiara of gold and five white skulls, green ribbons and gold and jewel earrings, a garland of fresh severed heads, girdle, bracelets and anklets, she wears a long green scarf around the shoulders. With the right leg raised in a dancing posture, the left presses on a sun disc atop a prone figure. Above a moon disc and pink lotus seat, she is completely surrounded by the tight curling flames of orange pristine awareness fire.

In the four directions stand the four attendant Yoginis in the same appearance as Vajravarahi. At the top center of the miniature in the middle of clouds sits Green Tara.

Sitatapatra

40

13 cm * 17 cm Mongolia late XIX century

Sitātapatrā is the ‘Goddess of the White Parasol’ - protector against supernatural danger. She manifests as the wrathful form of Avalokiteshvara.

Sitātapatrā is white in colour with 1000 faces, 1000 hands, 1000 legs and 10,100,000 eyes. The main face in front is white, to the left is a vertical row of yellow faces, to the right is a vertical row of green faces, on both sides are red faces and on top of those are 200 more blue faces.

In her main right hand she carries a Dharma wheel and in her left a white umbrella, an auspicious emblem that protects living beings from the heat of desire.

Below her feet are representations of greet, jealousy and other forces that bind one to suffering..

She wears upper and lower silk garments of assorted colours.

She stands upon a lotus and is completely surrounded by the flames of pristine awareness.

White Jambhala

42

16,5 cm * 20 cm Mongolia Early XIX century

White Jambhala is a Wealth Deity.

He has one face and two hands and holds in the right a trident and in the left a katvanga staff. Wrathful in appearance with the hair flowing upward like flames he is adorned with jewel ornaments and silks of various colours, riding on the back of a green dragon.

At the top center is the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Ten Headed Avalokiteshvara) of whom Jambhala is an emanation, all around the four dancing dakinis.

At the bottom center Hayagriva, bottom right White Mahakala and bottom left Black Mahakala.

White Mahakala

44

9,5 cm * 11,5 cm Mongolia early XIX century

White Mahakala is a special form of the deity chosen by the Third Dalai Lama as the guardian of Mongolia. The White Six-Armed Mahakala is popular among Mongolian Gelugpa; the following sadhana is a rather accurate description of this painting: “His body is white. His face wrathful, he has three eyes, and his mouth red and half smiling. He has six arms. His main right hand holds a wish-fulfilling jewel in front of his chest, his upper right arm holds a chopper and his lower right hand is playing a drum. His main left arm rests on his left thigh and holds a skull cup with a vase in it filed with many jewels. His upper left hand holds a trident and his lower left hand holds a vajra hook. He has jewelled ornaments and wears a beautiful skirt made of many scarves. His feet look as if he has just stopped walking.

Under each foot is a deity with an elephant head carrying a radish… ” (Ref: Treasures of Tibetan art – Barbara Lipton pp. 167-168) In the upper part of the painting we find from left to right: Shakyamuni Buddha, Tsongkapa with his two main disciples and Zanabazar, at the bottom Shri Devi and Dra Lha. All around the five dancing Dakinis.

Six-armed (shabhudja) Mahakala

46

8 cm * 9 cm Mongolia XIX century

“The Lord of Pristine Awareness has six hands and a body dark blue in colour. The first two hold a curved knife and skullcup, the middle two a human skull mala and trident, the lowest two a damaru drum and lasso.

Adorned with a tiger skin, garland of heads, bones and snakes, and small bells on the hands and feet. Standing in a manner with the two legs together pressing down on Ganapati. With three eyes, bared fangs, eyebrows, beard and hair flowing upward with Akshobhya as a crown. Anointed with a sindhura drop on the forehead.

Supported behind by a sandalwood tree, dwelling in the middle of a blazing mass of fire.� (Jonang Taranatha, 1575-1634 from www.himalayanart.org).

Mahakala is the most popular deity in Mongolia, he is the protector of the country. An emanation of Avalokiteshvara he has many different forms.

Chaturmukha Mahakala

48

10 cm * 12,5 cm Buriatia XIX century

One of the many forms of Mahakala, the powerful protector of Buddhism.

Chaturmukha Mahakala is black in colour with four hands and four faces. This form of Mahakala is rarely depicted and rarely shown to the uninitiated.

The main face is blue-black with three eyes and bared fangs, the right white and the left red. The top face is smokey coloured. The brown hair bristels upwards. Each head is crowned with dried skulls, he wears a necklace of fresh severed heads, a brahmin cord and bone ornaments. The first pair of hands hold a curved knife and a skullcup. The second pair of hands holds a raised sword in the right and a spear in the left.

Surrounded by red flames he stands in warrior position atop a beautifully painted corpse-like figure.

The lotus disc rests on a triangle shape.

Vajrapani

50

12 cm * 16,5 cm Buriatia XX century

Vajrapani, wrathful Tutelary Deity, symbolizing the power of all Buddhas. He is blue bodies with a fierce expression showing bared fangs, he has a third eye.

Surrounded by red flames, he stands in the warrior pose on a lotus disc.

He wears a five-pointed Bodhisattva crown to depict the power of the five Tathagathas. He wears a snake necklace around his neck and a tiger skin around the waist.

He holds a vajra in the outstreched right hand.

52

Guhyapati Vajrapani

12 cm * 16 cm Buriatia XIX century

In this form Vajrapani is associated with Hayagriva and Garuda, the form is believed to be especially effective against grave diseases.

"Guhyapati Vajrapani with a body blue-black in colour, one face and two hands. The right hand holds a five pointed vajra. The left raised to the heart is pointing in a wrathful gesture; yellow hair twisting upwards amongst which is a Horse head, neighing sharply three times over-powering the Three Realms. The neighing of the Horse on the right over-powers the male lineages. The neighing of the Horse on the left over-powers the female lineages. The neighing of the middle Horse bestows attainments on the practitioner. On the crown of the head of the Horse is the King of Birds, Garuda, with a body white in colour, beating the sword-wings, having turquoise horns; adorned with a blazing jewel between the horns. Guhyapati's hair is adorned with a white spotted snake ‌ Wearing a lower garment of tiger skin, [Vajrapani is] adorned with all the jewel ornaments dwelling in the middle of a mass of pristine awareness [fire]." (Lhodrag Drubchen Lekyi Dorje, 1326-1401 www. himalayanart.org)

Vajrapani

54

19 cm * 25 cm Buriatia XIX century

Vajrapani, wrathful Bodhisattva, symbolizing the power of all Buddhas.

In this fine painting, he is blue bodied, his face bears a fierce wrathful expression showing bared fangs, he has a third eye.

Surrounded by red flames, he stands in the warrior pose on a lotus disc. All around him a landscape of water and mountains.

He wears a five-pointed Bodhisattva crown to depict the power of the five Tathagathas and rich jewellery. He wears a tiger skin around the waist.

He holds his symbol, a vajra, in the outstreched right hand.

At the bottom of the painting a large golden stupa symbol of Buddha.

A

56

Vajrapani

8,2 cm * 9,7 cm Mongolia early XIX century

Vajrapani, wrathful Bodhisattva, symbolizing the power of all Buddhas.

He has a blue body, his face bears a fierce expression showing bared fangs, he has a third eye. He holds a vajra in the outstreched right hand.

Surrounded by red flames, he stands in the warrior pose on a lotus disc.

He wears a five-pointed Bodhisattva crown to depict the power of the five Tathagathas and rich jewellery.

He wears a tiger skin around the waist.

At the right and left corner in the top part of the painting a golden stupa and a prayer finely highlighted in gold are enclosed in cinnabar red halos resting on clouds.

Hayagriva

58

9 cm * 11 cm Mongolia XIX century

Hayagriva one of the eight dharmapala (Dharma Protectors) is the wrathful manifestation of Avalokiteshvara.

"King of the Wrathful, Hayagriva, with a body red in colour, three faces and six hands. The main face is red, right green, left white. Each face has three eyes, radiant, with bared fangs. The hair, moustache and beard are blazing. At the crest of the three faces are three green horse heads with mouths sounding with the neighing of horses. ... With six hands, the first right holds a vajra, second a katvanga, third a sword. The first left a wrathful gesture, second a spear, third a lasso of intestine.

Having a crown of five dry human skulls and a necklace of fifty fresh, wearing an upper garment of human skin and an elephant hide, and a lower garment of tiger skin; with a Brahman cord of human hair. Adorned with drops of blood, clots of mould, bunches of charnel ashes and coils of snakes. The eight legs trample upon the eight great nagas in the aspect of snakes; standing in the vast blazing fire of pristine awareness." (Terdag Lingpa Gyurme Dorje (1646-1714) and Min-ling Lochen Dharmashri 1654-1718. From www.hymalayanart.org)

Hayagriva and padmasambhava

60

10 cm * 13 cm Mongolia XIX century

In this rare ‘tsal thang’ small painting (gold outline on a red background) Hayagriva is represented together with Padmasambhava through whom the lineage of Most Secret Hayagriva was brought to Tibet.

Hayagriva is linked to cults featuring horse spirits. For this reason he was very popular with nomadic Mongolians.

Yamantaka with his consort

62

10 cm * 12 cm Mongolia XIX century

Yamantaka, one of the eight Dhramapala.

He is dark blue in colour, has a large wrathful buffalo head with 9 faces, 34 hands and 16 legs. He has big flaming horns. Dark yellow hair flow upward like flames.

He is adorned with bone ornaments and a necklace of fifty freshly severed heads.

The upper face is red and a slightly angry yellow face of Manjushri (of which he is a manifestation) is placed on top. The three right faces are yellow, dark blue and red and the three left are black, white and smoky. Each face has three eyes and various frightful expressions.

With the first pair of hands he holds a curved knife and skullcup while embracing his consort Vajravetali who has one face and two hands.

The remaining hands hold a variety of objects with the 2nd set at the top keeping the fresh outstretched hide of an elephant.

The right legs of Yamantaka are bent pressing down on various animals and gods. The left legs are extended straight and press upon various birds and gods.

Yamantaka stands above an orange sun disc on a lotus, he is surrounded by the orange and red flames of pristine awareness.

Garwa Nagpo

64

9 cm * 11 cm Buriatia XIX century

Garwa Nagpo, the Blacksmith, the main attendant to the Tibetan worldly protector Dorje Legpa.

Of wrathful appearance Garwa Nagpo has one face and two hands, he is dark blue in colour, with three eyes, bared fangs. He wears a wide-brimmed hat with a human skull on top. The right hand is raised and holds a vajra foundry hammer while the left holds a blacksmith's tigerskin blower. Adorned with heavy earrings he wears brightly coloured long robes and felt boots. He rides a brown goat with twisted horns and is surrounded by mountains and water.

Yama Dharmaraja

66

8,5 cm * 11 cm Buriatia XIX century

The rare Secret form of Yama Dharmaraja.

Red in colour. With one face and two hands. He has the head of a buffalo, three eyes, sharp horns entwined with flame, he is fierce and angry. Holding a jewel bow.

Adorned with a crown of skulls and bone ornaments, he wears a necklace of freshly severed heads. He is completely surrounded by the red and orange flames of pristine awareness.

He stands in a dynamic position with his right leg bent and the left extended on the back of a buffalo above human bodies. In front of Yama Dharmaraja on the same lotus disc, the wrathful protector Rahula with nine heads stacked in rows of three and four hands. His lower body is that of a coiled serpent.

From left to righ all around the main figure we find Manjusri and a wrathful deity in the top part of the painting and Yama and his sister Yami and Shri Devi in the bottom part.

Shri Devi

68

10,8 cm * 12,5 cm Buriatia early XIX century

Shri Devi, the protector goddess and destroyer of evil who epitomizes the strength of the female form. She is the only female deity among the powerful group of eight Dharmapalas (Dharma Protectors).

She determines the lifespan of humans by casting her two dices which hang from her mule mount together with a human leather bag of diseases closed with snake trappings. "... Shri Devi Remati, Queen of the Army Repelling Weapons, riding a mule, blue-black in colour, with one face and two hands, having bared fangs and gnashing down on a human corpse...The right ear is adorned with a poisonous snake and the left with a lion, crowned with five dry human skulls and a necklace of fifty blood dripping wet [heads] strung with intestines. ... The right hand holds to the sky a sandalwood stick marked with a vajra. The left holds to the heart a mustard seed and blood filled skullcup. ..." (Sharchen Champa Kunga Tashi 1558-1603 from www.himalayanart.com).

The goddess rides through a sea of blood and is accompanied by two animal-faced dakinis : Makaravaktra, black bodied with a white makara face and Simhavaktra, red bodied with a white lion face.

Shri Devi

70

6 cm * 7,5 cm Mongolia XIX century

Shri Devi in an amulet box 6,5 cm * 8,2 cm Mongolia XIX century

Chitipati in an amulet box

72

6,5 cm * 9 cm (box included) Mongolia early XIX century

The Lords of the Charnel Ground; represented as two identical skeletons, white in colour they each have one face with three red eyes and smiling mouth.

The Father holds a bone stick topped with a skull with the right hand and a blood filled skullcup in the left, standing on a conch shell. The Mother holds a stalk of grain in the right hand and a wealth vase in the left, she stands on a cowrie shell. Both are adorned with a tiara of five dry skulls and ear ornaments in the shape of rainbow cloured silk fans, and dance on one leg above a sun disc surrounded by the orange flames of pristine awareness.

Bibliography:

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