Iniation Card (Tsakalis)
Unknown Artist
early 15th century
Medium
Opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions
Each 6 1/4 x 5 3/4 in. (16 x 14.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture
Tibet
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 2000
Accession Number
2000.282.20
Tags
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Asian Art galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we encounter the delicate *Initiation Card (Tsakalis)*, a rare early 15th-century from Tibet. Crafted by an unknown artist, this small painting—measuring just 6¼ x 5¾ inches—serves as a tsakali, a miniature diagram used in Tibetan Buddhist tantric initiations. These portable cards were essential tools for spiritual teachers, handed to disciples during rituals to visualize deities, mandalas, or sacred symbols, aiding meditation and empowerment. Rendered in opaque watercolor on paper, the work exemplifies Tibetan thangka...