Artwork Details

Title
Tangtong Gyelpo (1361-1485 or 1385-1446/58)
Dimensions
38 1/2 × 26 3/8 × 7/8 in.
Medium
Ground mineral pigment on cotton
Origin
Tibet
Classification(s)
paintings scroll painting
Date
19th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin
Object number
C2006.66.478
HAR Number
940
Published references
* Rob Linrothe, Holy Madness: Portraits of Tantric Siddhas. (New York: Rubin Museum of Art; Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2006). Pp. 370

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Transmission

Concepts

The passing down of authentic Buddhist teachings from a teacher to a disciple or student, often in the form of a text in a ritualistic context.

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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.

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Power

Concepts

A kind of energy that can be used, individually and collectively, to effect change.

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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).

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Tibetan Regions

Region

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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