The Eight Great Events of the Buddha’s Life

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

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

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

Tibet 19th century

The "Three Silver Brothers" Manjushri - Avalokiteshvara - Vajrapani (left to right)

Western Tibet, Puhrang area early 13th century

Nyima Oser, One of the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava

Tibet 18th century

Two blue-skinned, many-armed deities holding implements, locked in embrace before fiery nimbus

Hevajra

Northern mural painting in Hevajra Chapel, middle floor, Gongkar Chode Monastery, Gongkar County, Lhokha, U region, central Tibet (present-day TAR, China) ca. 1464–1476

Golden statuette depicting lama seated on lotus pedestal with hands in mudras at chest

Bon Lama, Rinchen Gyeltsen (1415-1446)

Central Tibet 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

Stirrups belonging to the equestrian set of Yuthok Tashi Dhondup

Tibetan, Derge ca. 1943–1947

Painting on cloth depicting Buddha seated on lotus pedestal, surrounded by attendants, before mountainous background

Ushnisavijaya and Celebration of Old Age (Jyatha Janko)

Nepal 19th 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

Golden statue depicting seated Buddha holding bowl in lap, left hand touching ground

Mold for clay image (tsatsa) of Buddha Amitayus

Himalayan region 19th century

Religious implement in vajra shape: two open spheres formed by curved prongs connected by shaft

Bodhisattvas Maitreya and Manjushri in Tushita Pure Realm

Tibet early 20th century

Dark brown sculpture with traces of gilding depicting deity riding on horseback before fiery nimbus

Attendant Figure to Vaishravana

Tibet 16th century

Chakrasamvara with Consort Vajravarahi

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century

Silver religious implement with turquoise accents; ball and chain attached to rotating cylinder mounted on wooden handle

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

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

Ratnasambhava, From a Set of Initiation Cards (Tsakali)

Tibet ca. 14th century

Tarnished golden statue depicting six-armed goddess wearing pointed crown holding implements in each hand

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

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

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

Buddha’s Birth, from a set of the Twelve Deeds of the Buddha, Print from a woodblock

Derge Printing House, Kham region, eastern Tibet after 1960

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

Birth of the Buddha, from a set of the Twelve Deeds of the Buddha, after a carved woodblock

Tibet 20th century

Tarnished brass-colored sculpture depicting wrathful deity wearing crown and billowing robes holding staff across body

Buddha Vairochana

China Qing dynasty (1644–1911), ca. 19th 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

Refuge Field with Machik Labdron (1055–1153)

Tibet early 20th century

Gilt open metalwork depicting serpent deity hooded by three snakes, her tail curling amidst acanthus scrolls

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

Siddha holds left hand to back of head as he floats above rocky landscape dotted with buildings and groups of figures

Milarepa and Scenes from His Life

Tibet 18th 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

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye (1813-1899)

Eastern Tibet early 20th century

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

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

Central Tibet 18th century

Bronze-colored sculpture depicting four-armed Bodhisattva seated on lotus pedestal; tightly wound textile scroll attached to front left arm

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

Kham region, eastern Tibet 19th century

Colorful banner made of chevron-shaped pieces of textile supporting two paintings depicting woman at left, religious structure at right

Temple Banner with Seven Symbols of Royal Power and Offerings

Tibet 19th century

Wrathful deity wearing crown of skulls rides on yellow horse before nimbus of green flames

Chabui (r); album leaf from Album of the Bust Portraits of Yuan Empresses (Yuandai hou banshen xiang shou ce 元代后半身像手冊)

probably Daidu (Beijing), China Yuan dynasty (1279–1368)

Pencil drawing depicting two building complexes situated on peak and spur of mountain outcropping

Chakrasamvara and the Footprints of Drigungpa Jikten Sumgon (1143–1217)

Tibet before 1217

Golden statuette depicting two deities locked in embrace and surrounded by sculptural, billowing sashes

Chakrasamvara in Union with Vajravarahi

central Tibet ca. 1386

Teacher seated against landscape, surrounded by clusters of portraits representing his lineage and various deities

Damchen, the Oath-Bound Protector

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

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

Detail of a nobleman’s robe

Delgerkhaan soum, Khentii Province, Mongolia Mongol Imperial period, 14th century

Painting on rectangular cloth depicting six scenes arranged in two columns and three rows

Bunga Dyo, the Legend of Red Avalokiteshvara

Nepal 1712

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

Illustrated Manuscript Depicting the Story of Water

Nepal 17th century

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

Seated Buddha and attendants assembled in circle look upon beasts being slain by two figures

Detail of Morality Tale of Vidura from chapter 76 in the Wish-fulfilling Vine (Bodhisattvavadanakalpalata)

Southern mural painting of the original Main Assembly Hall, ground floor, Gongkar Chode Monastery, Gangto Village, Gongkar County, Lhokha, U region, central Tibet (present-day TAR, China) ca. 1464–1476

Mural in photorealistic style depicting Lama seated on ornate golden throne above group of lamas and deities

Detail of Mural of Fourteenth Dalai Lama Receiving International Dignitaries

Norbulingka, Lhasa, Tibet 1956

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

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

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

27 golden Buddha statues, turned away from viewer, mounted in six rows with backsides protruding from blue wall

Do What You Love

2010

Tarnished statuette depicting figure seated with hands clasped at chest and right knee raised

Donor Figure

western Nepal/western Tibet 13th–14th century

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)

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)

Rectangular tea-brown page featuring Tibetan text and illumination at left; fragments missing from right side

First Folio from The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, and detail with Milarepa; Drakkar Taso; 1550–1555; xylographic print on paper; folio 4-1/8 x 20 in. (10.5 x 51 cm); British Library, OPB 19999a3

Drakkar Taso 1550–1555

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

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

Tibet ca. 13th–14th 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

Green-skinned Bodhisattva seated on throne decorated with animals and stupas; Left foot rests on lotus blossom

Green Tara

central Tibet ca. 1260s

Green-skinned goddess seated underneath arched structure bearing deity portraits and floral motifs in light blues

Green Tara

Khara Khoto, Inner Mongolia, China; Western Xia late 12th–13th 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)

Brasswork featuring etched image of seated Buddha enclosed by arched structure and two patterned, horseshoe-shaped bands

Halo with etched Buddha at Awakening and Attendants

Kashmir ca. 720

Glass cylinder featuring three stone-decorated bands mounted on spindle; green jade handle at right

Handheld Prayer Wheel

Tibet 19th–20th century

Small, green, double-headed drum attached with cord to long tassel embroidered with religious motifs

Handheld Drum (Damaru)

Tibet or Mongolia early 20th century

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

Scene featuring dynamically posed nude figures gathering around robed figure and tiered structure within garden setting

Jataka of the Bodhisattva Sonam Tob (Story 90); north wall of the ground-floor circumambulatory passage

Zhalu Monastery; Tsang District, central Tibet 14th century

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

Mottled copper religious implement in stupa shape with canopy and lotus blossom at top

Kadampa-style Reliquary Stupa

Tibet 13th or 14th century

Lama wearing red brocade robe seated before body of water amidst trees, animals, and attendants

Kagyu Lama with Four Lineage Gurus

Tibet ca. late 16th century

Black and white photograph of mule with elaborately decorated harness, head ornaments, string of bells at neck, and saddle carpet

Kala, Maultier des Postreiters (Kala, mule of the post rider)

Tibet 1938 or 1939

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)

Mottled sepia textile featuring angled footprints standing astride deity seated upon lotus amid floral motifs

Karmapa with His Footprints

central Tibet late 12th–early 13th century

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

Wind instrument made from human leg bone; shaft covered in copper sheath, joint wrapped with natural material

Leg Bone Trumpet (Kang Ling)

Tibet 18th–19th century

Tarnished, gilded relief sculpture depicting rider on horseback before background featuring figures in miniature

Lhamo

Densatil Monastery, U region, central Tibet (present-day TAR, China) ca. 1407–1408

Black and white photograph of four people, one with umbrella, gathering around camera on tripod

Lhasa Newars with Camera

Lhasa 1940s

Black and white photograph of people inspecting collection of wool bales floating on water at shoreline

Lhasa, der Wollhafen mit Details (Lhasa, wool port with details)

Lhasa 1938 or 1939

Armored men mounted on horseback, carrying spears and standards, assemble at base of mountain range

Lhasa, die große Neujahrsparade (Lhasa, the great New Year’s parade)

Lhasa 1938 or 1939

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

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

Maitreya Procession in Yekhe Khüriye

1965

Major Events of the Buddha's Life

Northeastern India 12th century

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

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

Silver statuette of seated, crowned Bodhisattva, left arm raising sword, with sash billowing about shoulders

Manjushri, Bodhisattva of Wisdom

Tibet 11th 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

Water-damaged mural depicting Yogi wearing white robe, seated with hands posed in mudras

Milarepa (ca. 1028–1111)

"Milarepa's Tower," Sekar Gutok, Lhodrak, southern Tibet 1200–1250

Close view of light-gray earthenware model of stupa featuring clearly demarcated staircases and moldings

Molded Clay Image (Tsatsa) of a Stupa Molded in the Round

Toling Monastery, Ngari region, western Tibet 11th–12th century

Well-defined stupa featuring tiered base and conical tower surrounded by lines of Tibetan text

Molded Clay Image (Tsatsa) of the “Descent from Heaven”

Guge, Ngari region, western Tibet 11th–12th century

Silver pitcher with crown-shaped rim and golden decoration at base and neck; features dragon handle

Monk’s Cap Silver Pitcher

Tibet 19th century

Black and white photograph of monks carrying parasols, billowing in wind, at base of hilltop palace

Monks on the “Golden Procession”

Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet ca. 1936–1950

Three-dimensional golden mandala in the form of palace situated atop four cylinders of decreasing diameter

Mount Meru Palace Mandala

Yachengar Monastery, Kham region, eastern Tibet (present-day Sichuan Province)

Mural depicting wrathful deity with red skin wearing animal and human pelts, standing before flames

Mural of Hayagriva

Assembly Hall, Nechung Monastery, Lhasa, U region, central Tibet (present-day TAR, China) ca. 1900, restored ca. 1996

Mural depicting seated Guru wearing resplendent robes in blue, saffron patchwork, and red-and-gold brocade

Mural of Padmasambhava

Assembly Hall, Nechung Monastery, Lhasa, U region, central Tibet (present-day TAR, China) ca. 1900, restored ca. 1996

Mural depicting oracle outlined in flames wearing gold headdress, red and gold robe, and cascading ribbons

Mural of the Nechung Oracle Shakya Yarpel (fl. 1856–1900)

Assembly Hall, Nechung Monastery, Lhasa, U region, central Tibet (present-day TAR, China) ca. 1900, restored ca. 1996

Mural depicting blue-skinned wrathful deity and his consort locked in embrace; both wear skull crowns

Mural of Yamantaka, one of the Eight Sadhana Teaching Deities

Assembly Hall, Nechung Monastery, Lhasa, U region, central Tibet (present-day TAR, China) ca. 1900, restored ca. 1996

Mural depicting serpents and three flayed human skins painted to appear to hang from blue timber rafters

Murals of Human Skins

Courtyard, Nechung Monastery, Lhasa, U region, central Tibet (present-day TAR, China) ca. 1900, restored ca. 1996

Mural depicting fearsome deity and attendants outlined in flames traveling through green landscape

Murals of Pehar’s Retinue

Courtyard, Nechung Monastery, Lhasa, U region, central Tibet (present-day TAR, China) ca. 1900, restored ca. 1996

Monumental porch featuring blue timbered ceiling and red columns covering two large murals flanking ornate portal

Murals of the Red and Black Butchers

Western Entrance, Nechung Monastery, Lhasa, U region, central Tibet (present-day TAR, China) ca. 1900, restored ca. 1996

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

Padmapani Lokeshvara

Tibet 17th century

Copper sculpture featuring open, almond-shaped nimbus supporting seated holy man surrounded by twelve smaller figures

Padmasambhava and His Eight Manifestations

Tibet 16th 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 statuette of crowned deity with left palm facing viewer and right hand on hip

Pakpa Lokeshvara (copy of the original in the Potala Palace, Lhasa)

central Tibet 13th–14th century

Polished brown stone sculpture with gold and red pigment depicting grimacing deity before nimbus of flames

Panjaranatha Mahakala

Tibet 15th century

Fearsome deity bearing crown of skulls standing before smoldering nimbus of flames surrounded by floating deity portraits

Panjarnatha Mahakala

Tibet 18th century

Mother, father, and son, all dressed in sumptuous brocades, pose for photograph in grove of trees

Phunkhang Yabshi Kung, his wife and son

Tibet 1948

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

Golden-faced silver statuette depicting seated lama with left hand raised in mudra wearing finely modeled robe

Portrait Sculpture of the Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje (1555–1603)

Central Tibet 1598

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

Loosely arranged string of turquoise beads with carved bone centerpiece and five dark-blue tassels

Prayer Beads (trengwa)

Tibet 19th 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

Four lines of text inscribed in gold on blue background, enclosed in gold frame, positioned underneath thangka

Qianlong as Manjushri-Chakravartin (brought to Lhasa in 1757–1758 at the death of the Seventh Dalai Lama) in front a Qing imperial tablet (brought in 1722 during the enthronement of the Seventh Dalai Lama)

Hall of Victory over Three Realms, Red Palace of the Potala, Lhasa, Tibet

At left, page featuring Chinese script; at right, three-quarter portrait of bearded man; framed and separated by yellow border

Qubilai Khan; album leaf from Album of the Bust Portraits of Yuan Emperors (Yuandai di banshen xiang ce 元代帝半身像冊)

probably Daidu (Beijing), China Yuan dynasty (1279–1368)

Wrathful red- and pink-skinned deities stand locked in embrace atop prone figure and hooved animal before fiery nimbus

Raktayamari

Imperial Workshop, South China Ming Yongle period (r. 1403–1424)

Crowned Buddha seated on lotus throne, surrounded by attendants and deities arranged in registers

Ratnasambhava

central Tibet ca. mid-13th century

Medium view under blue sky of low-slung rust-red temple building featuring stupas at corners of roof

Red Temple (Dukhang)

Toling, western Tibet founded 996

Beaded ritual garment in lattice pattern featuring belt with pointed oblong forms decorated with portraits

Ritual Bone Apron

Tibet/Nepal 18th–19th century

Carving on cracked stone of three stacked rectangles of decreasing width topped by roughly circular form

Rock Carving (petroglyph) of a Ritual Stepped Structure

Kabren Pungri, Rutok, western Tibet Protohistoric period (ca. 100–600 CE)

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)

Tightly rolled scroll of brown paper with Tibetan text wrapped around top quarter of tarnished silver spindle

Roll of Mantras for a Prayer Wheel and Its Spindle

Tibet ca. 12th–13th century

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

Richly colored deities in garden setting surrounded by various figures and scenes in miniature

Scenes from the Early Life of the Buddha

western Tibet or western Nepal 14th century

Seated Bodhisattva

China late 13th–14th century

Intricately detailed brass statuette of enthroned Buddha flanked by five smaller deities

Seated Buddha Flanked by Maitreya and Avalokiteśvara

Palola Shahi Kingdom April 23, 715

Orange leather saddle featuring gold filigree and turquoise decoration at pommel

Set of Saddle Plates

Tibet or China ca. 1400

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

The Eight Great Events of the Buddha’s Life

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