Advanced Search
Requires Photography
Shakyamuni Buddha
Tibetan
19th century
Object Place: Tibet
Medium/Technique
Distemper and gold on cotton
Dimensions
131 x 75 cm (51 9/16 x 29 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich
Accession Number47.80
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAsia
ClassificationsPaintings
DescriptionPainting in hanging scroll (thangka) format, with streamers, veil, decorative stitched borders and plain wooden hanging rod.
Gold-skinned Shakyamuni sits cross-legged on a lotus throne. He touches the ground with his right hand and holds his begging bowl in his left. he is flanked by two standing monks with small figures of Manjushri (on the left) and Amitabha (right) above them. In the upper area of the painting, three yellow-hatted lamas sit making preaching gestures. The one at the left holds a vajra and dhorje. The central figure holds a vase and something like a golden cord. The right figure makes the dharmachakra mudra with both hands and holds nothing. In the lower area of the painting, three wrathful deities stand engulfed in flames: on the left is Yama standing on a bull which in turn stands on a corpse, at center is Palden Lhamo on her mule, and at the right is Beg-tse, with red skin and Mongolian armor.
Gold-skinned Shakyamuni sits cross-legged on a lotus throne. He touches the ground with his right hand and holds his begging bowl in his left. he is flanked by two standing monks with small figures of Manjushri (on the left) and Amitabha (right) above them. In the upper area of the painting, three yellow-hatted lamas sit making preaching gestures. The one at the left holds a vajra and dhorje. The central figure holds a vase and something like a golden cord. The right figure makes the dharmachakra mudra with both hands and holds nothing. In the lower area of the painting, three wrathful deities stand engulfed in flames: on the left is Yama standing on a bull which in turn stands on a corpse, at center is Palden Lhamo on her mule, and at the right is Beg-tse, with red skin and Mongolian armor.
InscriptionsOn reverse, in red ink, in Tibetan, the mantras "Om, ah, hum" repeated behind each major figure.
Provenance1947, Lucy Truman Aldrich, Providence, RI; 1947, gift of Aldrich to the MFA. (Accession Date: January 9, 1947)