Item: Indian Adept (siddha) - (multiple figures)

Mahasiddhas: A single composition from a set of thirteen paintings depicting the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas according to the system of Vajrasana.

The composition is most likely derived from the original paintings composed by Khazi Lazo in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Two paintings are known from Ford Collection that depict two figures per composition rather than five. A similarly derived composition with six figures can be found in the Ganden Monastery Library in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Again, an eight figure set of eleven or thirteen compositions can be reconstructed from several different collections in America and Asia. A block print of the Prajnaparamita Sutra carved in Lhasa circa 1940 also depicts the same figures with minor changes to suit the medium.

Jeff Watt 1-2014