Here the eight-armed goddess of long life Ushnishavijaya sits framed by an ornate stupa. An inscription on the back follows the shape of the stupa. A tiny representation of Buddha Vairochana, the goddess’s primary buddha sits just above the dome of the stupa.The fifteenth century marks a period of transition in Tibetan painting. While works from this time adhere to organizational principles inherited from India and Nepal, the usual strict, grid-like compartmentalization of the figures has transformed into rows of circular celllike enclosures made of scrolling vines. Paintings of this period also feature more distinctive Tibetan architecture and often emphasize an auspicious backdrop of blossoms, features that are both evident in this work. Stylistically this painting relates to the famous murals of the Kumbum, in Gyantse, southern-central Tibet.

Artwork Details

Title
Goddess Ushnishavijaya in Stupa
Dimensions
37 3/8 × 3/4 × 24 1/2 in.
Medium
Pigments on cloth
Origin
Tsang Province, Central Tibet
Classification(s)
paintings scroll painting
Date
15th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, gift of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation
Object number
F1998.17.1
Bibliography
Collection Highlights: The Rubin Museum of Art
HAR Number
663
Published references
  • Glenn H. Mullin and Jeff Watt, Female Buddhas: Women of Enlightenment in Tibetan Mystical Art (Clear Light Publishers, 2003), 107-109.
  • Marylin M. Rhie and Robert A. F. Thurman, Worlds of Transformation: Tibetan Art of Wisdom and Compassion (Tibet House, 1999), 413-414, 416, cat. 160.
  • J. Van Alphen, Collection Highlights: Rubin Museum of Art (Rubin Museum of Art, 2014), 170-171.
  • Elena Pakhoutova, "A Wondrous Great Accomplishment: A Painting of an Event," in The Arts of Tibetan Painting Recent Research on Manuscripts, Murals and Thangkas of Tibet, the Himalayas and Mongolia (11th-19th Century), PIATS 2010: Proceedings of the Twelfth Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies Vancouver, Asian Art.com (2010), 1-2, figs 4a and 4b, https//www.asianart.com/articles/pakhoutova/index.html#4

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