Symbolic Offerings | Rubin Museum Collection

Rubin Museum of Art

Embroidered white and black animals, two black ravens, and human figures populate a light blue background. Skulls and beaded strings decorate the upper edge, with black animals in the lower portion. A dark, blue-skinned figure sits at center, one of three human figures. There are seven animals, including a white Bactrian camel and a black snow lion devouring a corpse. All represent symbolic offerings.

Symbolic Offerings

Mongolia, 19th century

Two richly dressed, bearded figures in armor face each other, both surrounded by swirling cloud motifs, against a backdrop of green hills, trees, and a body of water. Two smaller figures of attendants are placed at lower left and right, and a dish piled high with offerings sits between the two central figures.

Vaishravana and Virupaksha, Guardian Kings of the Northern and Western Directions

Tibet, 19th century

Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) and Scenes from His Life

Tibet, 18th century

Tibet, 19th century

Six-Armed Mahakala

Tibet, 18th century

Manjushrikirti, King of Shambhala, From a set of previous incarnations of the Panchen Lamas

Du Jinsheng Silk Factory, Maojiabu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, ca. 1922-1937

Mahachakra Vajrapani

China, 15th century

Makzor Gyelmo, Queen Who Repels Armies

Mongolia, 18th century

Eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara

China, 18th century

Buddha Shakyamuni

Tibet or Bhutan, late 17th-18th century

Buddha Shakyamuni

Bhutan, 19th century