Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Maitreya (Bodhisattva & Buddhist Deity) - Bodhisattva

རྒྱལ་བ་བྱམས་པ། 弥勒佛
(item no. 108)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1600 - 1699
Lineages Karma (Kagyu)
Size 88.90x68.58cm (35x27in)
Material Ground Mineral Pigment, Fine Gold Line on Cotton
Collection Shelley & Donald Rubin
Catalogue # acc.# P1995.8.1
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Appearance: Peaceful

Gender: Male

Interpretation / Description

Maitreya, Bodhisattva (Tibetan: cham pa, chang chub sem pa. English: the One of Love, Being of Enlightenment). At the top and sides are bodhisattvas and panditas, with lamas below. (See Maitreya Main Page).

At the top right and left are the Eight Great Bodhisattvas.

At the middle right and left sides are the Six Ornaments and Two Excellent Ones of the Southern Continent. Nagarjuna is on the top left and Asanga on the right.

To the left of the throne is Milarepa and on the right side is Gampopa. At the bottom of the composition are six figures paired two and two. The first pair on the left are Padmasambhava with and unidentified monastic figure. Slightly to the right are Jowo Atisha and Dromton. On the far right is a monastic figure and a Karmapa.

At the bottom left is an unidentified donor figure seated before a shrine and a single attendant figure.

Jeff Watt 9-2000

Related Items
Thematic Sets
Buddhist Deity: Maitreya Main Page
Painting Set: Rechung Nyan Gyu Lineage
Painting Style: Men-ri (New)
Collection of Shelley & Donald Rubin
Tibet: Painting (West Tibet)