Item: Mahakala (Buddhist Protector) - Shadbhuja (Shangpa)
| Origin Location | Tibet |
|---|---|
| Date Range | 1300 - 1399 |
| Lineages | Karma (Kagyu) and Buddhist |
| Material | Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton |
| Collection | Rubin Museum of Art |
| Catalogue # | acc.# P1998.4.1 |
Classification: Deity
Appearance: Wrathful
Gender: Male
Shadbhuja Mahakala (Tibetan: pal nyur dze ye she kyi gon po chag drug pa. English: the Swift Acting Lord of Pristine Awareness with Six Hands). The wrathful manifestation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara after having taken on the form of Mahakala - the principal protector of the Shangpa Kagyu and Gelugpa Schools. Five attendant deities surround the central figure.
At the upper left corner is a portrait of Gyalwa Karmapa wearing the black vajra crown. At the right is a scholar wearing monastic robes and a red pandita hat.
Jeff Watt 5-2001
Mahakala: Shadbhuja [Shangpa] Page (Six-hands)
Mahakala: Shadbhuja (Early Paintings) Page
Buddhist Protectors: Enlightened
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Painting Gallery 7
Buddhist Protector: Mahakala Main Page
Painting Style: Western Tibetan
Mahakala (Kagyu)
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Mahakala, Early Paintings