Five small rectangular paintings arranged in column depicting scenes featuring deities, animals, and spiritual implements
Five small rectangular paintings arranged in column depicting scenes featuring deities, animals, and spiritual implements
Object Essay

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Senge Dradok, One of the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava

Kham Province, Eastern Tibet 18th century

Dorje Drolo, One of the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava

Kham Province, Eastern Tibet 19th century

Loden Chokse, One of the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava

Kham Province, Eastern Tibet 19th century

Pema Gyelpo, One of the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava

Eastern Tibet early 20th century

Orgyen Dorje Chang, One of the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava

Eastern Tibet 19th century

Padmasambhava, Pema Jungne

Kham Province, Eastern Tibet late 18th-19th century

Four Mandalas of the Vajravali Cycle

Ewam Choden Monastery, Tsang region, central Tibet 1429–1456
Blue-skinned, many-armed, cow- and human-headed deity in dynamic pose before fiery nimbus

Vajrabhairava Solitary of Rwa Lotsawa Tradition

Western mural painting in Hevajra Chapel, middle floor, Gongkar Chode Monastery, Gongkar County, Lhokha, U region, central Tibet (present-day TAR, China) ca. 1464–1476
Deity and consort locked in embrace, holding spiritual implements, surrounded by deity portraits

Drenpa Namkha (ca. 8th century)

Amdo Province, Eastern Tibet 19th century
Painting mounted on orange brocade depicting lama seated amidst deity and lama portraits

Bon Lama Sanggye Lingpa (1705-1735)

Gyelrong, Eastern Tibet 19th century
Wrathful deity stands in dynamic pose before fiery nimbus, surrounded by deity portraits

Takla Membar

Tibet 19th century
Many-armed, blue-skinned deity locked in embrace with orange-skinned deity holds animal pelt behind back

The Buddhist Deities Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi

Tibet (by a Newar artist) ca. 15th century
Scores of figures dressed in red form long, snaking line; group of blue-robed figures stands at left

Maitreya Procession at Lama-yin Gegeen-ü Khüriye

Mongolia late 19th–early 20th century
Painting mounted on blue damask depicting Buddha wearing resplendent green and blue garment

Maitreya

Mongolia late 19th century

Panchen Lama rebirth lineage portraits, set of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Golden statue depicting crowned four-armed goddess of war standing in dynamic position

Kaumari

Nepal 17th or 18th century
Rectangular tea-brown page featuring Tibetan text flanked by printed portraits of wrathful deities

Four-armed Mahakala, left, and Remati, right

Ron Wosel Puk, Tibet 1538
Silver cylindrical object with faces of four figures in relief at cardinal points

Four-faced Linga

Nepal 18th - 19th century

Phakpa of Lokeshvara of Lhasa

Tibet or Nepal date uncertain
Painting depicting Bodhisattva wearing flared dhoti and golden belt standing amongst small deity portraits, above rows of attendants

Red Avalokiteshvara or Bunga Dya

Nepal dated by inscription, 1818
Painting on cloth depicting Buddha seated on lotus pedestal, surrounded by attendants, before mountainous background

Buddha Shakyamuni with Arhats

Tibet 18th century
Painting depicting white stupa adorned with deities floating above landscape, surrounded by deity portraits

Ushnisavijaya and Celebration of Old Age (Jyatha Janko)

Nepal 19th century
Ruddy-brown sculpture depicting deity with countless heads and arms arranged in semi-circles at sides of body

Cosmic Vishnu (Vishvarupa)

Nepal 17th–18th century
Stupa and multitude of deity portraits hover above landscape at top two-thirds; two scenes featuring throngs of figures at bottom third

Chariot Ritual (Bhimaratha Pata)

Nepal dated by inscription, 1902
Carved wooden dagger-shaped implement featuring head, face scowling, wearing crown of skulls at pommel

Ritual Peg (purba)

Tibet 17th century
Bodhisattva wearing blue and red brocade dhoti stands, holding long-stemmed blossom, amongst clouds and blossoms

Bodhisattva Suryabaskara

China or Inner Mongolia 18th century
Golden statue depicting standing Bodhisattva wearing pleated dhoti and finely-modeled crown, earrings, armbands, and necklaces

Bodhisattva Kshitigarbha

Tibet 17th century
Two Bodhisattvas glance at one another while seated on lotus platforms before pagoda-roofed structure

Bodhisattvas Maitreya and Manjushri in Tushita Pure Realm

Tibet early 20th century
Bronze-colored statue depicting seated Bodhisattva wearing ornate crown and pleated dhoti holding long-stemmed blossoms

Maitreya

Tibet 17th century

Book cover

Tibet 13th century
Cup made from human skull mounted on brass tripod, decorated with face of deity, skulls, and garland motif

Skull Cup

Nepal ca. 18th century
Blue-skinned, many-armed, wrathful deity stands in embrace with pink-skinned consort before fiery nimbus

Chakrasamvara with Consort Vajravarahi

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century

Chakrasamvara with Consort

Tibet 15th century
Deity wearing sumptuous red, green, and blue skirt holds white parasol before white disc and fiery nimbus

Sitatapatra

Tibet dated 1864
Bodhisattva wearing five-pointed crown and billowing blue sash seated atop lotus pedestal before mountainous landscape

Tara as Protectress from the Eight Fears

Eastern Tibet 19th century
Rectangular page featuring Tibetan text at center flanked by two portraits: Bodhisattva at left; Wrathful deity at right

Frontispiece from The Great Destroyer of the Thousand Foes (Mahasahasrapramardani) Sutra Manuscript

Tibet ca. 13th–14th century
Green-skinned, many-armed Bodhisattva wearing garland of human heads seated before fiery nimbus

Tara, as a Great Yogini, After a Set of Paintings “Twenty-seven Tantric Deities” designed by Situ Panchen (1700-1774)

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Painting in reds and golds depicting Buddha seated in meditation amidst grid of dozens of miniature portraits

Buddha Amitayus

Eastern Tibet 18th century
Rectangular painting depicting crowned figure and four wrathful deities standing in dynamic poses underneath arches

Illuminated Manuscript Page Depicting Four Forms of Mahakala & Vaishravana

China 17th century

Vajravarahi

Nepal dated by inscription, 1822
Buddha wearing crown and golden necklaces, left hand held in mudra at chest, consort appearing from behind right shoulder

Vairochana, From a Set of Initiation Cards (Taskali)

Tibet ca. 14th century
Bodhisattva holding long-stemmed blossom sits before landscape surrounded by dozens of portraits in grid arrangement

White Tara

Tibet 18th century

Padmasambhava

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Tarnished golden statue depicting six-armed goddess wearing pointed crown holding implements in each hand

Vasudhara

Nepal 13th century

Avalokiteshvara

2022
Bird’s-eye view of golden-roofed palace complex surrounded by gardens with image of blue-skinned Buddha at center

Medicine Buddha Palace (copy of first painting from the set of the Tibetan Medical Paintings from Mentsikhang Lhasa)

Rebgong county, Qinghai province, China 2012-2013
Tarnished copper-colored statue depicting six-armed goddess wearing pointed crown holding implements in each hand

Vasudhara, Goddess of Abundance

Nepal 17th century
Painting on beige textile depicting three full-body anatomical studies featuring écorché at right

Medical Painting of Minor Connecting Blood Vessels or Capillaries, Illustration to the Medical Treatise The Blue Beryl, Chapter 4

Tibet 18th century
Patinated copper statue depicting deity standing with arms crossed at chest, wearing garland of human heads

Vajrayogini

Tibet 17th century
Figure wearing red brocade robe and cap sits in garden setting amongst four portraits at corners of painting

Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyelsten

Tsang region, central Tibet 18th century
Medical chart featuring scenes arranged in registers divided into cells depicting patients in conversation with doctors

Medical Painting on Prophylactics, Diagnosis, and Therapeutic Principles, Illustration to the Medical Treatise the Blue Beryl, Chapters 23–28

Central Tibet 19th century
Relief sculpture depicting wrathful deity standing on haunches atop prone figure before fiery nimbus

Panjaranatha Mahakala

Tibet ca. 16¬th–17th century
Wrathful deity standing on haunches before fiery nimbus, holding staff in arms and implements in hands

Panjaranatha Mahakala

Tibet 18th century
Mandala in rust-reds and greens featuring vajra-pointed inner circle and deity portraits at corners

Mandala of Chakrasamvara

Tibet 14th-15th century
Brass-colored sculpture depicting four-armed wrathful deity with mouth open in grimace riding atop horse

Mahakala

Tibet 17th century
Painting depicting Bodhisattva wearing flared dhoti and golden belt standing amongst small deity portraits, above rows of attendants

Red Avalokiteshvara or Bunga Dya

Nepal dated by inscription, 1818
Six-armed deity stands in embrace with blue-skinned consort surrounded by deity portraits above sparse landscape

Heruka with Consort

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century

The Stages of Nepalese Lost-Wax Metal Casting

Nepal 2022
Three clusters of portraits centered on white-skinned deity in dancing pose hover above mountainous landscape

Refuge Field with Machik Labdron (1055–1153)

Tibet early 20th century
Sculpture depicting deity flanked by braided bodies of serpents; head covered by hood of seven serpents

Vishnu with the King of Snakes, Shesha

Nepal ca. 17th century
Gilt open metalwork depicting serpent deity hooded by three snakes, her tail curling amidst acanthus scrolls

Flying Naga

Nepal or Tibet 14th century
Many-armed and -headed wrathful goddess at center flanked by deities, each framed by fiery nimbus

Siddhi Lakshmi

Nepal dated by inscription, 1796
Buddha hovers, left hand extended towards ground, above landscape dotted with buildings and groups of figures

Life Story of Buddha Shakyamuni

Tibet 19th century
Buddha hovers, left hand extended towards ground, above mountainous landscape dotted with buildings and groups of figures

Buddha Shakyamuni and Teaching Stories (Avadana)

Central Tibet late 18th–19th century
Tarnished copper sculpture depicting many-armed and -headed deity standing with feet planted firmly apart

Shiva Bhairava

Nepal 15th century
Philosopher seated at left gazes at mountainous landscape dotted with magnificent buildings and groups of figures

Life Story of Tsongkhapa (1357–1419)

Tibet 18th century
Guru wearing saffron robe sits on lotus pedestal, hovering above landscape dotted with buildings and scenes

Padmasambhava and his eight manifestations

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Detail of painting depicting Enlightened Teacher in brocade robe tending to head of figure crouching at right

Arhat Nagasena

Tibet 18th century
Wrathful deity holds wheel decorated with five main scenes and multitude of smaller images, scenes, and portraits

Wheel of Existence

Tibet 18th century
Polychrome sculpture depicting bearded Enlightened Teacher wearing pleated robes painted with floral motif at chest

Arhat Ajita

Tibet or China 17th century

Shrine Cabinet (chosham)

Tibet second half of 20th century
Lama wearing saffron robe seated on blue-cushioned throne with hands posed in mudras at chest

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye (1813-1899)

Eastern Tibet early 20th century
Figure seated on throne underneath blossoming tree branches, above miniature scene, before mountainous landscape

Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo (1012-1088)

Eastern Tibet 18th century
Patinated copper- and gold-colored statue depicting Buddha seated in meditation wearing crown and tall hairstyle

Buddha Amitayus

Tibet 17th century
Patinated copper-colored statue depicting Bodhisattva holding hands in mudras, flanked by long-stemmed blossoms

Green Tara

Himalayan ca. 17th century
Painting in gold on red background depicting Dalai Lama, seated at center, surrounded by portraits and foliage

The Fifth Dalai Lama Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (1617–1682) with Previous Incarnations

Central Tibet 18th century
Bronze-colored statue depicting Bodhisattva holding long-stemmed blossoms; seated with left leg extended to ground

Manjushri

Nepal 17th century
Golden sculpture depicting bare-chested figure, seated with right knee raised, wearing turquoise-accented jewelry

Mahasiddha Avadhutipa

Tibet 17th–18th century
Tarnished golden statue depicting six-armed deity wearing pointed crown, posing hands in mudras

Ushnishavijaya

Tibet 17th century
Siddha wearing magnificent blue, gold, and red garments seated in pastoral setting, accompanied by consort or deity

Indrabhuti, from a set of the Eight Great Adepts (Mahasiddhas)

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Wrathful deity wearing crown of skulls rides on yellow horse before nimbus of green flames

Pelden Lhamo

Mongolia late 17th century
Green-skinned Bodhisattva seated on throne decorated with animals and stupas; Left foot rests on lotus blossom

Tara

central Tibet ca. 1260
Metal devotional implement in stupa shape featuring deity image at center, filigree work, and script

Chorten constructed in the memory of Kunga Drolchok (1507–1566)

Namgyal Monastery; Mustang, Nepal ca. 1568
Deity holding implements rides galloping cryptid beast against backdrop stained in dramatic browns, reds, and blues

Damchen, the Oath-Bound Protector

Gura Sharkha, Minyak, Kham region, eastern Tibet dated 1655

Dancing Ganapati

central Tibet ca. mid-15th century
Deity with dark skin seated on lotus pedestal surrounded by seven smaller deities against green background

Deities of the Padmakula Mandala

Dunhuang, China period of Tibetan rule (ca. 781–848)
Line drawing in ink depicting central circle inscribed with text framed by two figures; One upside down, one right-side up

Demon-Binding Against Sickness

Dolpo region, western Nepal ca. 1975
Close view of screened window featuring forced-perspective frame and densely carved semicircular pediment

Deshay Maru Jhya (Deshay Maru Jhya (Window without an Equal)

Yetakha tol; Kathmandu, Nepal ca. 18th century
Monochrome woodblock print depicting seated regent gazing below at attendants, surrounded above by deity portraits

Desi Sanggye Gyatso (1653–1705)

Tibet 17th century
Stylized female figure holding planet Earth, beset by flame and flood, in mouth as snake emerges from her pregnant belly

Desire

Lhasa 2020
Two long rectangular manuscript covers decorated with proliferation of figures and scenes against orange backgrounds

Cover of a Prajnaparamita manuscript

Newar, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal dated 1054
Painting on rectangular cloth depicting six scenes arranged in two columns and three rows

Bunga Dyo, the Legend of Red Avalokiteshvara

Nepal 1712
Rectangular stone fountainhead in the form of elephant-like creature with raised trunk and gaping, toothy mouth

Detail of Fountain outside Bhaktapur Palace, showing sculpted stone spout

Bhaktapur, Nepal 1688
Four ladies wearing resplendent robes recline amongst collection of pitchers and other metal vessels

Detail of Makzor Gyelmo, Queen Who Repels Armies, from lower right of painting, showing four ladies with a range of vessels including a two-toned, open-top pitcher with spout and handle

Amdo region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Guru wearing patchwork robe with staff at right shoulder, bowl in right hand, and vajra in left

Guru Rinpoche/ Padmasambhava

Taktsang, upper Lhakhang, Upper Paro Valley, western Bhutan ca. 1692–93 (destroyed in 1998 fire)
Throng of people outside and on top of buildings greet horsedrawn cart laden with goods

Detail of Pegam Chest showing pitcher and chemar bo grain vessel on the central table as greeting offerings

19th century
Close view of religious implement with doors opened revealing dozens of portraits; decorated with pigments and stones

Detail of tashi gomang

Tashichhodzong, Thimphu, Bhutan 17th century
Mural depicting monarch at right with family members and attendants arranged to his left

Detail of The Altan Khan’s Family

Back Shrine of the Main Assembly Hall, Maidari-yin Juu, Inner Mongolia, China 18th century
Rabbit with velvety fur places paw in bowl brimming with white pellets before diaphanous tree branches

Detail of Two Arhats and Heshang with a Woman Washing Daikon

Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China dated 1660
Close view of saffron-robed figure seated with hands posed in mudras before orange nimbus

Detail of Two Indian and Four Tibetan Masters

central Tibet early 13th century
Deity at center of monumental stupa with lotus base surrounded by figures floating above verdant landscape

Ushnishavijaya

Tibet 18th century
Line drawing depicting female deity dancing atop supine figure overlaid with red rectangular grid pattern

Drawing of Vajravarahi

ca. 1687
Red-robed figure uses hammer and chisel on stylized brown and green rock face before attendants and altar

Dungtso Repa Extracting Treasure, detail of a thangka

Gangteng Monastery, Nubding, Bhutan
Sculpture depicting golden, many-armed goddess and animals atop wooden plinth flanked by kneeling attendants

Durga Killing the Buffalo Demon (Durga Mahishasuramardini)

Nepal 12th–13th century
Orange-red bird with outstretched wings underneath line drawing of horned animal on beige pockmarked rock

Eagle and Wild Herbivore

Zhamar Puk, Tashi Dochung, Lake Namtso, Tibet Protohistoric period (ca. 100–600 CE)
Full view of large drum mounted horizontally on dark stone base in elephant shape

Elephant-skin drum with stone base inside Longguodian (Hall of Dynastic Prosperity)

China Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Smooth, purple-brown figurine of a sheep featuring curved horn, prominent musculature, and wooly neck

Figurine of a Wild Sheep

closely associated with western Tibet Protohistoric period (ca. 100 BCE to 600 CE)
Tea-brown page with red border featuring Tibetan text and illuminations in color interspersed amongst text

Folios from a Biography of Milarepa

Tibet 17th–18th century
Mandala with blue textile border at top and bottom; panel of yellow textile raised to reveal painting.

Forty-Three-Deity Mandala of Manjuvajra

central Tibet 1375–1380
Saffron-colored painting mounted on orange and yellow brocade depicting seated Lama surrounded by small figures

Fourth Panchen Lobzang Chokyi Gyeltsen (1570–1662), with previous incarnations

Tsang region, central Tibet mid-17th century
Page featuring four lines of text above illumination depicting four deities in blue squares against red background; bottom right corner of page torn away

Fragmentary page from a Prajnaparamita Sutra manuscript

Toling 11th century
Rectangular page featuring Tibetan text at center flanked by two portraits: Bodhisattva at left; Wrathful deity at right

Frontispiece from the Great Destroyer of the Thousand Foes (Mahasahasrapramardani) Sutra Manuscript

Tibet ca. 13th–14th century
Line drawing on beige paper depicting seated Buddha and retinue amid profusion of elaborate patterns and forms

Frontispiece of the Chinese translation of Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra (Diamond Sutra)

Dunhuang, present-day Gansu Province, China 11 May 868 CE
Dark stone statue of Vishnu riding Garuda; anointed with red and gold pigments

Garudasana Vishnu

Changu Narayan Temple; Nepal ca. 7th–8th century
Monk seated in tree, surrounded by dozens of portraits, which hang like leaves from the branches

Geluk Refuge Field with Tsongkhapa

central Tibet ca. late 18th–early 19th century

Ghantapa as one of the Eight Great Tantric Adepts

Kham region, eastern Tibet 18th century
Watercolor depicting white stupa with needle-like spire situated on rocky outcropping

Godāvapa Stūpa

Sri Lanka 1941
Six long rectangular pages bearing script and two puncture holes each; top page features deity portrait in center

Pancharaksha (Five Protections) illuminated manuscript

Nepal 1138
Golden statue depicting goddess seated on lotus pedestal holding vajra in left hand at chest

Goddess Marichi

Mongolia late 17th or early 18th century
Green-skinned Bodhisattva seated on throne decorated with animals and stupas; Left foot rests on lotus blossom

Green Tara

central Tibet ca. 1260s
Sculpture depicting figure wearing saffron robe and pointed red headdress seated on lotus pedestal before mural

Guru Padmasambha, the scholar manifestations of Padmasambhava

Lo Gekhar Monastery, Mustang, Nepal mid-17th century
Guru wearing orange and green patchwork robe, holding vajra in left hand at chest

Guru Rinpoche

second floor hallway, Tango Monastery 17th century (1688/90)
Gridded square with ten columns and ten rows, each containing plant illustration and accompanying text

Herbal Medicines, Painting 26 of the Tibetan Medical Paintings, Ulan Ude Set

Lhasa, central Tibet early 20th-century copy of original from ca. 1687–1697
Bird’s-eye view of enclosed complex of domed tents and religious structures behind forecourt filled with figures

Ikh Khüree Naadam

Mongolia 1966
Bird’s-eye-view of crowd assembled in circular formation on plaza before walled building complex

Ikh Khüree Tsam

Mongolia 1966
Photograph of t-shirt-shaped objects mounted on poles at shore of body of water before mountain range

Installation work in the exhibition Keepers of the Water

Lhasa 1996
Copper-colored metalwork depicting half-man, half-bird figure adorned with crown, garlands, and plumage

Jalamanusha (Merman)

Nepal ca. 13th century
Black and white photograph of man touching hand of Bodhisattva statue

Janbahadya, the White Avalokiteshvara of Jana Bahal, also known as Seto Macchendranath

Kathmandu, Nepal date uncertain
Deity with three faces and eight arms holds implements in hands while seated on white lotus pedestal

Jügdernamjil (Three Deities of Longevity)

Mongolia late 19th century
Four illustrations on rectangular beige folio: concentric circles, gridded color fields, and human anatomical illustration

Kalachakra Cosmology Illustrations

Tibet 16th century
Painting mounted on brown damask depicting lama seated before rocky outcropping, flanked by attendants

Karmapa in Cave (Tenth Karmapa, Sixth Gyeltsab, and Kuntu Zangpo)

Tibet or Gyeltang, northern Yunnan 17th century (ca. 1668–1674)
Two gilded sculptures depicting king and female figure kneel with hands in prayer at chests

King Bhaskara Deva Varma (12th century) and Woman Donor Wearing Tayo-bizakani

Kwa Baha, Patan, Nepal 1804
Monarch wearing pea-green robe and black headdress depicted sitting, holding scroll in right hand

King of Lijiang, Mu Zeng (1598–1646; r. 1598–1624/46), Official Portrait

Lijiang, China Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Teacher dressed in orange robes and headdress seated at center of mountain landscape, surrounded by portraits

Lama (Teacher) Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel (1594–1651)

Bhutan early 18th century
Lama seated on throne with vajra in left hand, suspended above mountainous landscape, surrounded by portraits

Lama Chogyur Lingpa (1829–1870)

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Monk wearing saffron and red robes, hands posed in mudras, seated on lotus pedestal surrounded by miniature portraits

Lama Zhang

Tangut Xixia 1032–1227
Silver statuette depicting seated figure with left hand posed in mudra, right hand holding implement

Life Portrait of the Sixth Zhamar, Garwang Chokyi Wangchuk (1584–1630)

Tibet early 17th century (before 1630)
Buddha hovers, left hand extended towards ground, above landscape dotted with buildings and groups of figures

Life Story of Buddha Shakyamuni

Tibet 19th century
Line drawing in ink depicting central circle inscribed with text superimposed atop boar with bristling fur

Livestock Charm

primarily Dolpo region, Nepal since 1975
Close view from below of tower clad in decorative molding; features richly carved portico, pediments, and lintels

Mahabuddha Temple

Patan, Nepal 1564–1601
Sculpture depicting Siddha with topknot seated on lotus pedestal holding drum in raised left hand

Mahasiddha Damarupa of a Lamdre lineage

Namgyal Monastery, Mustang, Nepal 16th century

Maitreya

Mongolia 1680s

Maitreya

Mongolia 1680s
Panoramic painting depicting hundreds of figures arranged in formation on dusty field under blue sky

Maitreya Procession in Yekhe Khüriye

1965
Brick-red mandala with lotus at center surrounded and supported by flayed body of figure holding his hair in his hands

Canopy of a Mahakala Yantra

Tibet 18th century
Mandala mounted on blue and gold textile border featuring deity portraits at bottom and background landscape

Mandala of Sarvavid Vairocana (Durgatiparisodhana from the Vajradhatu Mandala Series)

Inner Mongolia or Beijing ca. 18th century
Sacred painting composed of geometric forms adorned with symbolic motifs; deep-red with accents in green, blue, yellow, and white

Mandala of the Buddhist Deity Chakrasamvara

Nepal dated 1490
Red-toned mandala featuring deity surrounded by multitude of deity portraits arranged in registers

Mandala of the Sun God Surya Surrounded by Eight Planetary Deities

Nepal likely 1379
Line drawing featuring Buddha at center surrounded by concentric rings and square frames decorated with symbols and figures

Mandala with the Five Dhyani (Meditation) Buddhas, symbolic of the five cosmic elements, identifiable as Vairochana (center), Amitabha (top), Ratnasambhava (left), Amoghasiddhi (right); and Akshobhya (bottom)

Dunhuang, China ca. 851–900
Painting depicting deity seated before ornate building, flanked by two framed sets of Chinese characters

Manjughosha Emperor, Niched hanging shrine panel, Eastern Side Hall, Pavilion of Raining Flowers

Line drawing on rectangular folio depicting nine lozenge-shaped objects above vertical lines of text

Manuscript folio of illustrated instructions for the creation of an unidentified do effigy from a combination of namkhas

Lo Montang, Mustang district, Nepal 19th century
Bird’s-eye view of settlement consisting of domed tents in enclosures and several large buildings

Map of Yekhe Khüriye

Mongolia 19th century
Map depicting two large settlements in circular formation and scattered smaller settlements near river system

Map of Yekhe Khüriye

Mongolia late 19th century
Figure seated before blue nimbus, flanked by attendants and animals, below three scenes depicted amongst clouds

Marpa Lotsawa (1012–1097)

Tibet 17th century
Painting mounted on brocade border depicting seated figure surrounded by small portraits against mountain landscape

Medical Lineage Holders, Painting 80 of the Tibetan Medical Paintings, Lhasa Set

Lhasa, central Tibet early 20th century
Monarch wearing brown robe seated on throne underneath depiction of deity supported by cloud

Mu Zeng as a Monk (木生白画像)

Xitansi Monastery, Chicken Foot Mountain, Yunnan Province, China 17th century
Two philosopher monks seated on water-bound platform underneath vaporous cloud leading to deity portrait

Nagarjuna and Aryadeva, after Situ’s set of The Six Ornaments and Two Excellent Ones

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Figure dressed in blue robe decorated with fearsome face leans toward white religious implement decorated with yarn lozenges

Namra Tseku, detail of thangka

Tibet
Painting depicting nine deities hovering in row above riders assembled on horseback in green landscape

Nine Deity Offering

Mongolia 19th century
Two scenes: at top, Buddha flanked by attendants; at bottom, figures in dynamic poses with text at top left

Nineteenth-Century Copy of the Paubha Commemorating the Death of Pandita Vanaratna (1384–1468)

Patan, Nepal 1862
Red-robed lama sits with hands posed in mudras in natural landscape amidst deities and attendants

Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje (1555–1603)

Central Tibet late 16th century
Depiction of animal decorated with geometric forms carved onto craggy brown boulder

One of three striped carnivores carved on a boulder

Alchi, Ladakh, India Iron Age (ca. 700–100 BCE)
Three-quarter profile view of ivory statuette depicting Bodhisattva wearing finely articulated dhoti and accessories

Padmapani Lokeshvara

Tibet 17th century
Three sculptures depicting seated figures situated in small green niche; middle figure adorned with prayer scarf

Padmasambhava Triad in Custom-Made Shrine

Ghami Palace, Mustang, Nepal 18th century
Painting in acid tones depicting white chaitya situated in mountain landscape surrounded by irregular grid of portraits

Painted Scroll of Bhimaratha Ritual

Hāku Bāhāḥ, Kathmandu, Nepal dated by inscription January 1830
Dusky painting depicting stupa structure against landscape and registers of scenes and deity portraits

Painted Scroll of Laksha Chaitya Ritual

Kathmandu, Nepal dated by inscription January 1808
Deity dances upon lotus pedestal, beneath deity portraits, while raising drum in left hand

Painting of Machik Labdron (1055–1153)

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Painting depicting bird’s-eye view of prominent palace, temples, and monasteries in green mountain valley

Painting of Temples and Monasteries of Lhasa

Kham region, eastern Tibet 1900–1920
Golden statue of crowned deity with blue hair handled delicately by people with saffron-colored textiles

Pakpa Lokeshvara

Nepal 7th century
Fearsome deity bearing crown of skulls standing before smoldering nimbus of flames surrounded by floating deity portraits

Panjarnatha Mahakala

Tibet 18th century
Enlightened teacher holds implement in hands at chest; flanked by attendants and surrounded by portrait border

Portrait of Vanaratna (1384–1468)

central Tibet 15th century
Rectangular page featuring lines of Tibetan script and illumination depicting deity seated above offerings and kneeling figures

Prajnaparamita with Devotees; folio from a Shatasahasrika Prajnaparamita manuscript (The Perfection of Wisdom)

Toling Monastery, Ngari region, western Tibet 11th century
Lama seated on throne with orange cloud-motif backrest amidst portraits of Buddha, wrathful deities, and lamas

Sixth Panchen Lobzang Pelden Yeshe (1738–1780), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Monarch encircled by fluttering scarves sits in forecourt of magnificent building and addresses throng of people

Manjushriyashas (Jampel Drak), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Bearded philosopher sits on riverside porch and recoils from grey-skinned figure at right

Bhaviveka (Lekden Je, ca. 500–ca. 578), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Monk in brilliant orange robe with serpent at left shoulder gestures with left hand against menacing figures at left

Abhayakaragupta (Jigme Jungne Bapa, d. 1125), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Translator wearing sumptuous orange robe sits before pupils at their books beneath towering mountain range

Go Lotsawa Khukpa Lhetse (11th century), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Monk seated on blue throne extends right hand to grey-skinned figure at bottom right

Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyeltsen (1182–1251), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Disciple in tremulous saffron robe inclines head and extends right hand towards monstrous deity at right

Yungton Dorje Pel (1284–1365), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Lama wearing saffron patchwork robe, holding white prayer scarf, gazes at table adorned with implements and blossoms

[First Panchen] Khedrubje Gelek Pelzang (1385–1438), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Lama wearing resplendent saffron robe extends right hand in mudra towards wrathful deity at bottom right

[Second Panchen] Sonam Choklang (1439–1504), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Monk seated at bank of rushing river extends right hand to serpent deities swimming in water

Subhuti (Rabjor), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Lama seated on throne upholstered with red-and-gold brocade above two wrathful deities beneath three portraits

Fourth Panchen Lobzang Chokyi Gyeltsen (1567–1662), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Lama wearing pointed headdress sits before group of attendants beside riverbank in mountain landscape

[Third Panchen] Wensapa Lobzang Dondrub (1505–1566), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Lama enthroned outside of building complex on mountain spur, surrounded by deity and lama portraits

Fifth Panchen Lobzang Yeshe (1663–1737), one of thirteen thangkas copied from Nartang xylographic designs

Tibet 19th century
Astrological chart featuring circle surrounded by portraits in top half, circle surrounded by text and scenes in bottom half

Protective Astrological Chart

Tibet late 18th or early 19th century
Crowned Buddha seated on lotus throne, surrounded by attendants and deities arranged in registers

Ratnasambhava

central Tibet ca. mid-13th century
Beaded ritual garment in lattice pattern featuring belt with pointed oblong forms decorated with portraits

Ritual Bone Apron

Tibet/Nepal 18th–19th century
Photograph of faded image depicting deities painted on white material applied to face of craggy rock

Rock Painting (no longer extant)

Taktsang, Upper Paro Valley, western Bhutan ca. 14th–15th century
Form of a bird outlined in barely suggested rust-red pigment on rough white rock

Rock Painting of a Bird

Che Do, Lake Namtso, Tibet Protohistoric or Early Historic period (ca. 600–1000 CE)
Natural and symbolic motifs painted in red on weathered orange rock face

Rock paintings in red ocher of a conjoined sun and moon, two sunbursts, a tree, and two swastikas

Chukargyam, Rutok, Tibet Iron Age (ca. 700–100 BCE) or Protohistoric period (ca. 100–600 CE)
Monk plays stringed instrument while seated on throne featuring back- and armrests in the form of dragons

Saint Drukpa Kunley, great-grandfather of Desi Tenzin Rabgye

second floor, Desi Zimkhang, Tango Monastery 17th century (1688/90)
Watercolor in beige and black depicting enthroned Buddha holding hands in mudras at chest

Sarnath Buddha

India ca. 1940

Sarvavid Vairochana Mandala

Tibet 17th century
Black and white photograph of sculpture depicting haloed Buddha wearing sheer tunic standing before full-body nimbus

Shakyamuni Donated by Dhandeva

Shantipura, Svayambhu, Kathmandu, Nepal 15th century
Buddha in orange robe sits cross-legged on grisaille throne while flanked by two smaller men in patchwork robes

Shakyamuni Flanked by His Main Disciples

Lijiang, Yunnan Province 17th century
Golden statuette depicting goddess composed of two figures: below, seated figure; above, many-headed and -armed figure

Siddhi Lakshmi

Nepal 17th century
Lama seated before altar and attendants at bottom right; text against brown background at top left

Situ Panchen as Patron of The Wish-Granting Vine Series of One Hundred and Eight Morality Tales, twenty-third painting after Situ’s set

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Three panels of paper bearing florid, sprawling illustrations outlined in red ink; eight figures in scrollwork roundels at top

Sketches of Floral Patterns and Mythological Creatures, pages from a sketchbook in a folding book (thyasaphu) format

Tibet (and Nepal?) 1435
Pair of hand- and footprints frame holy man seated against background featuring deity portraits and vegetation

Songtsen Gampo with Handprints and Footprints

Tibet late 17th century
Watercolor depicting two men washing themselves and woman carrying vessel on head, followed by infant

Spring Morning

India ca. 1940
Black and white photograph of relief sculpture depicting Buddha flanked by two kneeling attendants

Standing Buddha Shakyamuni

Bangemudha Tole, Kathmandu, Nepal 5th–6th century
Black and white photograph of relief sculpture depicting Buddha and attendant situated before tiered architectonic sculpture

Standing Buddha Shakyamuni

Naka Bahi, Patan, Nepal 10th century
Black and white photograph of relief sculpture depicting elegantly carved Buddha against rough-hewn background; feet are missing

Standing Buddha Shakyamuni

Northern Asoka Stupa, Patan, Nepal  ca. 9th century
Fragment of page featuring vertical lines of Mongolian script framed by black border on light brown paper

Subhasitaratnanidhi (Treasury of Good Sayings) Mongolian translation in phags pa (square script)

Khocho 13th–14th century
Silver- and brass-colored sculpture depicting bodhisattva, holding red blossoms, seated with left foot extended

Tara

Tibet 17th century
Tattered painting on textile depicting extravagant architectural structure covered in deity portraits amidst green landscape

Thangka of Kongpo Bonri, southeast Tibet, represented as the citadel of the tantric divinity

Tsochok Khagying, Nyingtri, Kongpo, Tibet 18th century?
Rectangular, turmeric-yellow page featuring Tibetan text and three illuminations in color depicting fantastical creatures and figures

The Black Treasury Manuscript, Dream of the Four Pillars

Tibet ca. 1475
Painting in crimson-red and burnt orange depicting seated Buddha surrounded by profusion of scenes and figures arranged in five registers

The Eight Great Events of the Buddha’s Life

Tibet ca. 13th century
Two handprints and two footprints frame Dalai Lama seated above crowd of attendants and wrathful deity

The Fifth Dalai Lama, with Hand- and Footprints

Tibet late 17th century
Elliptical ornament depicting four seated deities and vajra; set in turquoise, orange, blue, and purple stones

The Five Tathagata, or Cosmic Buddhas, Forehead Ornament for a Deity

Newari, for the Nepal or Tibet market 17th–19th century
Red line drawing depicting Buddha at center flanked by two attendants on either side before landscape

The Ninth Karmapa (left) and the Sixth Zhamar (right), editor of the Jang (Lijiang) Kangyur, frontispiece of the catalog (karchak) by the Sixth Zhamar, vol. 109 of the Jang Satham (Lijiang) edition of the Tibetan Kangyur, folio 1a

Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China 1621
Mixed media artwork composed of photograph of Lama superimposed onto painting featuring deity portraits and landscape

The Ninth Panchen Lama

hanging on a pillar in Lhakhang, Lukhil Monastery, Likir Village, Ladakh, India
Painting depicting hilltop palace surrounded by prominent building complexes and settlements situated in green landscape

The Potala and the Principal Monuments of Central Tibet

Tibet 19th century
Buddha seated in meditation amidst landscape replete with buildings, vegetation, and figures enacting various scenes

The Previous Lives of Buddha Shakyamuni

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Mountainous landscape featuring multiple scenes and buildings nestled within valleys and on riverbanks

The Wish-Granting Vine Series of One Hundred and Eight Morality Tales, twenty-first painting after Situ’s set

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Profusely decorated, brightly colored mandala featuring portraits in roundels and in arches at top and bottom

Thirteen-Deity Mandala of Jnanadakini

central Tibet 1375–1380
Painting, mounted on blue brocade featuring dragon motif, depicting lama seated before attendants in mountain landscape

Thirteenth Karmapa, Dudul Dorje (1733–1797), from a Pelpung set of Masters of the Combined Kagyu Lineages

Kham region, eastern Tibet ca. 1760s
Mandala in jewel tones featuring richly ornamented green field between inner square and outer circles

Thirty-Two-Deity Mandala of Aksobhyavajra, the second painting of the Vajravali set commissioned in memory of Lama Dampa

central Tibet, Sakya tradition 1375–1380
Effigy of three-headed figure daubed with yellow pigment supporting three yarn-woven lozenges on sticks

Three-Headed One of the Black Rituals, Bonpo version of a partially constructed effigy

House of Pema Dolkar, Kagbeni, Mustang, Nepal 2007
Effigy of three-headed figure surrounded and ornamented by woven lozenges in red, yellow, and blue

Three-Headed One of the Black Rituals, Nyingma Buddhist version of a ritual effigy

Sanepa, Kathmandu, Nepal 1995
Red-upholstered golden throne featuring backrest with coiled-snake motif and legs made of animals standing atop one another

Throne of the Patan Kings

Patan, Nepal 1666
Lavishly carved semicircular gray-brown woodwork with seated Buddha at center; mounted on densely patterned lintel

Torana over the Main Entrance of Chusya Baha

Kathmandu, Nepal 1663
Painting mounted on green and gold damask depicting Buddha surrounded by full-body nimbus and crowd of attendants

Turning the Wheel of the Dharma, eighth painting from a set of nine depicting the Twelve Deeds of the Buddha

Tibet 17th century
Two oblong silver stirrups featuring details and decoration in gold; footbeds pierced with small holes

Two Stirrups

Mongolian 16th–17th century
Copper and gold sculpture depicting deity with curly hair and protruding belly seated on horned cow

Unidentified Deity Seated on a Cow (Yama?)

Tibet 17th century
Bronze statuette depicting seated Teacher flanked by long-stemmed blossoms holding implement in right hand

Uninscribed representation of Lowo Khenchen, identified on the basis of his distinct physical features and the workmanship

Lo (Mustang) 16th century
Illustration depicting six rows of bowls containing differently colored liquids above three circular, multi-colored diagrams

Urine Analysis, Painting 64 of the Tibetan Medical Paintings, Ulan Ude Set

Lhasa, central Tibet early 20th-century copy of original from ca. 1687–1697
Golden, conical crown embellished with filigreed medallions, deities, scrollwork, blue stone inlay, and vajra at top

Vajracharya Priest’s Crown

Nepal dated 1145
Buddha and female companion seated on double lotus throne, surrounded by deities in red nimbuses

Vajradhara and Consort

Nepal 1488
Four portraits arranged in square depicting figures seated on lotus pedestals with nimbuses of red and gold

Vajradhara, Nairatmya, and Mahasiddhas Virupa and Kanha

central Tibet ca. 1450
Mandala featuring yellow, red, green, and blue quadrants; arched registers at top and bottom feature miniature seated figures

Vajradhatu (Diamond Realm) Mandala

central Tibet 14th century
Sacred composition of concentric circles and squares featuring deity at center surrounded by multitude of figures and symbols

Vasudhara Mandala

Nepal dated 1777 (Samvat 897)
Tarnished gilded statuette depicting six-armed goddess seated on lotus pedestal; left foot rests on lotus blossom

Vasudhara, Goddess of Abundance

Nepal dated 1082
Dark stone sculpture of six-armed deity anointed with offerings of pigment and flowers

Vasudhara, in the shrine known as Vasupura adjacent to the Svayambhu chaitya

 Kathmandu, Nepal

Victory over Mara

Mongolia? 19th century
Photograph of hilltop temple featuring red central structure and white outer structure above smaller white buildings

View of Putuo Zongcheng Temple

Chengde, China 1767–1771
Wrathful deity locked in embrace with consort above mountain landscape surrounded by six deity portraits

White Chakrasamvara, from Situ’s set of The Twenty-Seven Tantric Deities

Kham region, eastern Tibet ca. 18th century
Mixed media piece in gray depicting 12-paned window with outline of scarf in white at top

Window No. 1

Tolung, Lhasa 2020
Rectangular ink-stained woodblock incised with dense text and image; lozenge-shaped handle at top

Woodblock for Printing Prayer Flags with Print

Himalayan region 15th–19th century
Lama wearing saffron robe enthroned amidst green mountain landscape, surrounded by deity and lama portraits

Zhabdrung Rinpoche Ngawang Namgyel (1594–1651?)

second-floor hallway, Tango Monastery 17th century (1688/90)
Painting in purples and blues depicting jagged mountain spur in foreground and snowcapped peak in background

对面的山 [Opposing Mountains], 1986

Circular multimedia piece in brown, embedded with small objects, divided into quarters

2020

Lhasa 2020
Rectangular wooden box, painted red with starburst pattern on side, rests on orange textile

A Case of Tibetan Kangyur

Nanjing, Imperial Workshop 1410 (eighth year of Yongle reign)
Red, yellow, and black sculpture composed of disc atop tiered structure standing before sculpture depicting two embracing deities

A large torma (dough-and-butter sculpture) representing Tsochok Khagying and his consort, standing on an altar in front of a clay image of the same pair of divinities

Lubrak Village, Mustang District, Nepal
Blue-skinned deity kneeling in dynamic pose before firey nimbus; register at bottom features ritual implements and supplicants

Achala

Tangut Xixia, excavated from Kara Khoto 13th century
Crowned Buddha seated on lotus throne, surrounded by attendants and deities arranged in registers

Amitabha

central Tibet ca. mid-13th century
Green-skinned Buddha seated on throne, surrounded by attendants and deities arranged in registers

Amoghasiddhi

central Tibet ca. mid-13th century
Six figures depicting different aspects of human anatomy; four figures overlaid with grid pattern

Anatomy, Painting 49 of the Tibetan Medical Paintings, Ulan Ude Set

Lhasa, central Tibet early 20th century copy of original from ca. 1687–1697
Sumptuously attired disciple accompanied by lion and attendant sits before body of water in mountain landscape

Arhat Ajita

China Yongle period (1402–1424)
Bodhisattva dressed in sumptuous dhoti holds blossom in right hand while seated on rocky outcropping

Avalokiteshvara, after Situ’s set of Eight Great Bodhisattvas

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Bodhisattva dressed in sumptuous dhoti holds blossom in right hand while seated on rocky outcropping

Avalokiteshvara, traced from a composition by Konchok Pende of E (from Situ’s set of Eight Great Bodhisattvas)

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century
Black and white photograph of architectural complex featuring tent-like structure and two pagoda-roofed buildings

Bat-Tsagaan Assembly Hall

Yekhe Khüriye, Mongolia mid-17th century
Fearsome deity wearing belt of human heads tramples horses and riders upon pedestal of flames

Begtse (Jamsran)

Mongolia late 19th century
Stone relief daubed with pigment of woman attended by three figures; housed in niche behind open grille

Birth of Buddha

Swayambhu, Nepal Shah period, 20th century
Brown-red relief against stone wall of featureless figure, arm raised, standing next to three smaller figures

Birth of Buddha

Lumbini, Nepal late Varman period, 3rd–4th century
Black and white photograph of sculpture depicting Buddha standing in contrapposto; legs below knees are lost

Buddha Shakyamuni

Rajarajeshvari Ghat, Pashupatinatha, Kathmandu, Nepal ca. 10th century
Painting on silk depicting seated Buddha flanked by attendants hovering above scene featuring three figures

Buddha Shakyamuni and Two Disciples

Tibet 15th century
Dusky brown painting depicting seated Buddha featuring text and deity portraits above, attendants assembled below

Buddha Shakyamuni, central painting from a set of seven paintings

Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China dated 1660
Black and white image of painting on cloth depicting deity and worshippers enclosed in architectural feature; Sanskrit text flanks illustration

Bungama Lokeshvara in [of] Nepal Depicted as a Conventional Avalokiteshvara

Nepal 1701