Item: Worldly Protector (Buddhist) - Garwa Nagpo

Garwa Nagpo, Damchen (English: the Blacksmith); the main attendant to the Avowed Protector Dorje Legpa.

Tibetan: Dam chen gar wa nag po

Wrathful with one face and two hands, he is dark blue in colour, with three eyes, bared fangs and bright orange hair flaming upward. The right hand holds aloft a vajra hammer and the left a blacksmith's bellows made of tiger skin. Adorned with a crown of five dry skulls and gold earrings he is lavishly attired in variously coloured full-length garments and felt boots. Riding atop a brown goat with twisted horns he is surrounded by grey smoke and wisps of orange flame. Coming forth from the outer edges of the smoke onto an Eastern Tibetan landscape are the messengers of the Protector - a black bear, reddish coloured fox, wild blue mule and dark grey wolf.

At the upper left is a lama with both hands placed in the 'earth witness' mudra (gesture); seated on a pink lotus.

Dorje Legpa and his retinue were originally believed to be subjugated in Tibet by Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava in the 8th century. They are avowed protectors and perform the special function of safeguarding the Nyingma Terma (treasure) tradition.

Jeff Watt 10-98