This fantastic creation carved from a single piece of wood, a common medium in Mongolian Buddhist sculpture, depicts the dwelling of the fierce protector and god of war Begtse. He is described as dwelling within a pavilion of bones surrounded by twenty-nine butcher-attendants cutting up human corpses. This example shows his palace constructed almost entirely from skeletons and body parts, with standing skeletons supporting the structure, squatting skeletons with jewels above their heads decorating the rooftops, and garlands of entrails and hearts hanging from the rafters. The frightening imagery closely follows visionary textual descriptions used for Begtse’s propitiation:“The blood of human beings and horses stream together to form a lake… all around lie chains of mountains and on the peak … is situated a leather castle … with parapets of carnelian and pinnacles of skulls.”This vividly carved panel likely served as a backdrop for a set of sculptures of the protector deity and his retinue.

Artwork Details

Title
Palace of the Protector Begtse
Dimensions
20 3/4 × 30 3/4 × 1 7/8 in.
Medium
Wood, pigments
Origin
Mongolia
Classification(s)
sculpture
Date
19th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
Object number
C2004.19.2
Bibliography
Collection Highlights: The Rubin Museum of Art
HAR Number
65344
Published references
  • J. Van Alphen, Collection Highlights: Rubin Museum of Art (Rubin Museum of Art, 2014), 104-105.
  • Jacob Paul Dalton, The Taming of the Demons: Violence and Liberation in Tibetan Buddhism (Yale University Press, 2013), 130-131, fig. 7.

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Devotion

Concepts

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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Mongolian Regions

Region

Mongolians have been widely active in the Tibetan Buddhist world, playing a key role in Tibetan culture, politics, and relations with China. In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire—the largest contiguous empire in world history—facilitated the spread of Tibetan visual culture.

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