Artwork Details

Title
Padma Karpo (1527-1592) and Scenes from His Life
Dimensions
24 × 18 in. (estimated)
Medium
Pigments on cloth
Origin
Bhutan
Classification(s)
scroll painting paintings
Date
18th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
Object number
C2004.22.1
HAR Number
65368
Published references
* "Bhutanese Thangka Studies by Dorje Namgyel," pp. 120-127 (unpublished) (attached)

Begin your search...

Lineage

Concepts

The transmission of teachings from one generation to the next, from teacher to student, traced all the way back to the Buddha without interruption. A complete lineage is essential in Tantric Buddhist practices as it makes the blessings of the teaching more powerful.

See more

Tantrism

Concepts

A religious movement that originated in India around the fifth to seventh century with sacred writings and esoteric teachings and practices transmitted from teacher to student through initiation. These remain an important part of Hinduism and Buddhism today. 

See more

Legendary and Historical Humans

Figure Type

Himalayan art includes portraits of legendary and historical humans, including accomplished religious teachers (lamas), the Buddha’s original disciples (arhats), and spiritually accomplished tantric masters (mahasiddhas).

See more

Bhutan

Region

Bhutan’s earliest Buddhist temples were built in the 7th century, around the same time Buddhism was introduced in Tibet. In the 17th century, Mongol-backed Geluk authorities drove many Kagyu teachers from Tibet to Bhutanese areas. The Drukpa Kagyu teacher Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel (1594–1651) unified these regions and established a system of government.

See more

Sign up for our emails

Get the latest news and stories from the Rubin, plus occasional information on how to support our work. You can unsubscribe at any time at the bottom of our emails. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

Discover artworks, articles, and more by typing a search term above, selecting a term below, or exploring common concepts in Himalayan art.