Item: Chakrasamvara (Buddhist Deity)

Chakrasamvara (Tibetan: khor lo dem chog): supreme tutelary deity of the Mother (wisdom) class of Anuttarayoga Tantra of the Sarma Schools.

Tibetan: Khor lo dem chog

Semi-peaceful and semi-wrathful, dark blue in colour, he has four faces and twelve hands. The main pair of hands holds a vajra and bell embracing the consort. The remaining hands hold a variety of objects along with an elephant hide stretched to the sides. The consort, Vajrayogini, red in colour with one face and two hands straddles the waist of the male consort. With the feet pressing down on black Yama and red Kalaratri, they stand atop a sun disc and multi-coloured lotus blossom and lion supported throne surrounded by the orange and red flames of pristine awareness.

At the top left is the primordial buddha Vajradhara. At the top right is the Gelugpa lama Chamchen Choje Shakya Yeshe (1354-1435. TBRC record) performing the teaching mudra (gesture) at the heart while holding the stems of two utpala flowers supporting a vajra scepter and a bell, on the right and left. He wears a Chinese style black hat, a gift of the emperor of China.

At the bottom left is the wisdom protector Chaturbhuja Mahakala, wrathful, black, with one face and four hands. At the bottom right is the female attendant to Mahakala, Chandika, red in colour with one face and four hands holding a sword and trident on the right, and a bow and arrow in the upraised left and the head of Brahma in the lower left.

Jeff Watt 4-2000

Thematic Sets
Collection of Caroline & Wesley Halpert
Teacher: Shakya Yeshe Main Page (Secondary Figure)
Tradition: Gelug Deity Paintings
Buddhist Deity: Chakrasamvara Main Page
Textile: Woven Artwork Main Page
Painting Style: Chinese
Textile: Masterworks (纺织品, འཐག་དྲུབ་མ།)
Teacher: Shakya Yeshe Main Page
Textile: Weaving (Kesi)
Buddhist Deity: Chakrasamvara (Masterworks, Painting)
Textile: Main Page
Collection: Christie's, Painting (Sept, 2002; NY)
Buddhist Deity: Chakrasamvara (Textiles)
Buddhist Deity: Chakrasamvara Religious Context
Buddhist Deity: Chakrasamvara (Early Textile Works)