A THANGKA OF GUHYASAMAJA AND CONSORT

East Tibet, 18th century

East Tibet, 18th century
Hanging scroll, distemper on cloth, with silk brocade and silver mount. 95.5cm (37 1/2in) high x 64.3cm (25 2/8in) wide.

十八世紀 密集金剛唐卡

The 'red deity' seated at the centre on a lotus throne, embracing Sparshavajra and backed by a halo and aureole, both figures holding different attributes, surrounded by eight further manifestations of the same deities, all set on a verdant landscape and cloud-filled skies.

Guhyasamaja is one of the earliest and most important yidams (transformative deities) in Tantric Buddhism, dating to 8th/9th century India, and referred to in Tibet as the 'King of tantras'. A yidam represents a series of tantric insights and practices that can provide a skilled practitioner with an accelerated means to achieving Buddhahood. Portrayed here by 'Father' and 'Mother' deities in penetrative congress, Guhyasamaja represents a complete and perfect union of male and female divine phenomena. Compare with a similar thangka of Guhyasamaja, 18th century, in the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, illustrated on Himalayan Art Resources.org (item no.90529).