039
Mandala with the Buddha Sarvavid Vairochana from the Sarva-durgati-parshodana-tantra
Thangka, painting
Cotton support with opaque mineral pigments in waterbased (collagen) binder
23.25 x 29.75 inches
Indeterminate region
Ca. 18th or 19th century
Sakya pa style
Although identical in symbolism to the other two examples of the Sarva-durgati-parshodana-tantra mandalas in the exhibition, the artist who drew the figures in this painting was closely attentive to the details of the deities. A close examination of the mandala reveals iconographically precise ink drawings of each individual figure. Difficult to see even in the museum context, these figures would have been barely visible in a dimly lit Buddhist monastery where the painting would have hung. Nonetheless, precision and accuracy is given great emphasis to maintain the ritual correctness of the object, rather than to serve a didactic purpose.
Kim Masteller
Sarvadurgatiparisodhana
Tantra Mandala Essay
Museum #: 92.052
Huntington Archive Image Scan #: T1049