Rakta, or Red, Lokeshvara, a meditation form of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, stands at the center of this painting with his spiritual father Amitabha emanating from his crown and surrounded by a number of Hindu gods emanating from his body. In Nepal Buddhist deities and Hindu gods are both vital parts of ritual life and are worshiped side-by-side, and several deities particularly important to local communities retain conflated religious identities and are celebrated by Hindu and Buddhists alike at annual festivals and in daily rituals. In this case Red Lokeshvara has another identity as the local Hindu god Macchendranath, who is appealed to in a festival preceding the monsoon rains. Indeed, an inscription in gold letters below his feet identifies him as such (Macchendranath). A long inscription in Newari (a Nepalese script) at the center of the lower register emphasizes Lokeshvara’s kindness. It further indicates that the painting was commissioned in 1842 by a man named Shakya Bhikshu Bhavanisinha who lived in Kunche in the locality of Noghal (Kathmandu) together with his family. Below the inscription the artist has portrayed the family of donors on either side of Six-armed Mahakala.In this painting we see Newari painters employing artistic conventions of the nineteenth century with traditional elements such as those found in the donor depiction at the bottom.

Artwork Details

Title
Red Avalokiteshvara, also known as Bunga Dya, and Macchendranath
Dimensions
30 1/8 × 22 3/4 in. (estimated)
Medium
Pigments on cloth
Origin
Nepal
Classification(s)
scroll painting paintings
Date
Dated by inscription 1842
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin
Object number
C2006.66.45
HAR Number
100013
Published references
* Van Alphen, J. Collection Highlights: Rubin Museum of Art. New York: Rubin Museum of Art, 2014. Pp.82-83* Vajracarya, Gautamavajra. Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual. New York: Rubin Museum of Art, 2016. Cat 15: pp. 63-65, 139, 190-191, fn. 198-199.* Buhnemann, Gudrun, and Kasinatha Tamota. 2012. The Life of the Buddha: Buddhist and Saiva iconography and Visual Narratives in Artists' Sketchbooks from Nepal. Bhairahawa, Nepal: Lumbini International Research Institute. pl. 4 pp. 90.* "Nepalese Inscriptions in the Rubin Collection: Paubha Inscriptions." Asianart.com, access June 27, 2016, http://www.asianart.com/articles/inscriptions/10011.html

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Compassion

Concepts

The cultivation of a strong aspiration to help sentient beings overcome suffering. In Buddhist Mahayana teaching, compassion is the seed for attaining full enlightenment.  

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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. 

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Bodhisattvas

Figure Type

Beings who aspire to become fully awakened like the Buddha and are dedicated to helping others on the path to enlightenment.

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Nepalese Regions

Region

The Himalayan kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley were significant centers of Buddhist culture. Nepalese kings, Buddhist institutions, and ordinary people patronized the vibrant art guilds. The artistic traditions of the regions are well-known in Tibetan areas and beyond, and Newar artists have always been in high demand throughout Tibetan regions and Inner Asia.

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