Item: Shiva (Indian God)

Bhairava, Panchmukha (The Terrible Five Faced One): the wrathful form of the god Shiva. This is only a tentative identification and not textually supported.

Full of character, facial expression and color these four deities remain unidentified. They are painted on paper with the reverse of each filled with text in the nagari script of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. These pages are from a much larger set depicting an entire Tantric system, however these deities display both Hindu and Buddhist features. An informed identification awaits further study.

Jeff Watt 5-2005

Reverse of Painting
English Translation of Inscription: (Nagari script).

Thematic Sets
Collection of RMA: Best of Collection 2
Nepal: Illuminated Manuscripts (Shaiva Text)
Hindu Deity: Shiva, Panchmukha (Five Faces)
Hindu Deity: Shiva (Complex Figures)
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Nepal
Hindu Deity: Bhairava (Shiva) Main Page
Hindu Deity: Shiva Main Page