The subject of this simple yet expressive painting is Black Cloak Mahakala, the special protector of the Karma Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism, and their hierarchs, the Black Hat Karmapa lamas. The vibrant lines of the protector’s face dominate the composition, and the subtle use of a green wash in the tunic accentuates the blackness of Mahakala’s cloak on an already black ground, thus foregrounding the characteristic feature of the deity. This reflects a delicate aesthetic sensibility employed in the service of iconographic clarity.Ink on silk is an unusual medium in Tibetan painting and is more typical of Chinese painting. Also distinctive here are the sensitive depictions of animals, such as the realistic elephant at bottom center. Both these qualities are associated with paintings attributed to the Tenth Karmapa (1604-1674), which suggests that this work was inspired by his unusual style. An inscription in the bottom-right corner attributes the painting to Situ Panchen (1700–1774), an important scholar-artist of Kham Province, in southeastern Tibet. The silk brocades of this painting are also in the mounting style of Situ’s seat Palpung Monastery and help to tie this work to that artistic center and Situ himself.

Artwork Details

Title
Black Cloak Mahakala
Artist
Situ Panchen
Dimensions
44 1/2 × 22 × 1 1/4 in.
Medium
Pigments on silk
Origin
Kham Province, Eastern Tibet
Classification(s)
paintings scroll painting
Date
18th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
Object number
C2002.8.4
Bibliography
Patron and Painter: Situ Panchen and the Revival of the Encampment Style
HAR Number
65083
Published references
* Jackson, David P., Patron and Painter: Situ Panchen and the Revival of the Encampment Style. New York: Rubin Museum of Art, 2009. Fig. 10.33; Pp. 249, 251, 274* Van Alphen, J. Collection Highlights: Rubin Museum of Art. New York: Rubin Museum of Art, 2014. Pp. 36-37* Debreczeny, Karl. The Black Hat Eccentric: Artistic Visions of the Tenth Karmapa. New York: The Rubin Museum of Art, 2012, pp. 270-271. (Fig. 9.15)* Debreczeny, Karl. "What Constitutes 'the Hand of the Master'? Paintings Attributed by Inscription to Si tu Pan chen" in Amy Heller, ed. Reflections on Buddhist art and mural paintings from Tibet and Mongolioa. Proceedings of the International Association of Tibetan Studies 12 Vancouver (PIATS 12), 2010. Asianart.com, 2012, Figs. 10a-c, p. 5. http://www.asianart.com/articles/debreczeny/index.html* Debreczeny, Karl. "Lama Patron and Artist: The Great Situ Panchen." Arts of Asia, 40, no. 2 (2010): 82-92. Fig. 17.* Debreczeny, Karl. Palace Museum Journal 2011, 101-139. Fig. 35, p. 132.* Harris, James C. MD. "Bernagchen Mahakala" Archives of General Psychiatry vol. 66, no. 2. (February 2009), pp. 122-3 and journal cover.* Blezer, Henk. ôNotes on an Unidentified Thangka of the Black-Cloak Mahakalaö, in Hanna Havnevik and Charles Ramble eds., From Bhakti to Bon, Festschrift for Per Kvaerne, Oslo: Novus Press 2015, pp. 113û131.* Kang, Gesang Yixi. Zang chuan Gamagazi hua pai tang ka yi shu (karma sgar bris lugs kyi thang ka sgyu rtsal). Chengdu Shi: Sichuan mei shu chu ban she, 2012. Xia juan: p. 341

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Ritual

Concepts

Prescribed practices that carry symbolic meaning and value within a specific tradition and are intended to attain a desired outcome. Rituals are usually done as part of a ceremony or regular routine.

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Divine

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Buddhist practitioners in some traditions believe that cutting through ordinary perceptions that keep us in the endless cycle of death and rebirth, known as samsara, can create a powerful and enhanced divine identity that leads to enlightenment.

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Devotion

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A virtuous feeling and deep respect toward an authentic teaching, teacher, or path. Buddhists believe that expansive study, analysis, and meditation are essential steps for cultivating a healthy and enduring devotion.

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Wrathful Deities

Figure Type

Protectors of Buddhist teachings who destroy obstacles that impede the path to enlightenment. The more frightening and gruesome their appearance, the greater their power.

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Tibetan Regions

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Today, Tibetans primarily inhabit the Tibetan Plateau, situated between the Himalayan mountain range and the Indian subcontinent to the west, Chinese cultural regions to the east, and Mongolian cultural regions to the northeast. During the 7th to 9th century, Tibetan rulers expanded their empire across Central Asia, and established Buddhism as the state religion.

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