Situ Panchen
Kham Province, Eastern Tibet
18th century
A skull cup is an attribute of tantric deities and is usually paired with a curved knife. It can symbolize a mind filled with the bliss of realizing the true nature of reality.
Situ Panchen
Kham Province, Eastern Tibet
18th century
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.
A skull cup is an attribute of tantric deities and is usually paired with a curved knife. It can symbolize a mind filled with the bliss of realizing the true nature of reality.
This weapon is an attribute of tantric deities and is usually paired with a skull cup. When held by female deities it symbolizes wisdom’s destruction of all obstacles to enlightenment. When held by male deities it represents the method aspect of enlightenment.
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.
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.
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.
Protectors of Buddhist teachings who destroy obstacles that impede the path to enlightenment. The more frightening and gruesome their appearance, the greater their power.
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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