A thangka of a Nyingma Refuge Field

Tibet, 19th century

Tibet, 19th century
Distemper on cloth; depicting the lineage's 'lotus-born' root guru, Padmasambhava, in typical attire and seated posture with a slightly wrathful demeanor, surrounded by deities and gurus surmising most likely the Dorje Drag's order and teaching's 'accumulation of merit'.
24in (61cm) height of image exclusive of brocade mount
34 1/2in (87.5cm) total height of frame

Whereas refuge fields of the Gelug order are quite common in the 18th and 19th century, this is a rarer Nyingma example most likely of the Dorje Drag of Central Tibet, who along with the Mindroling tradition comprise the two most prominent Nyingma schools.

Provenance
Leo Van der Veen Collection, Canada, before 1975
Thence by descent