Painted Banner (Thangka) with Guru Dragpur, a Wrathful Form of Padmasambhava
18th/19th century
Medium
Pigment on silk
Dimensions
56 × 44 cm (22 × 17 3/8 in.)
Classification
tankas (scrolls or banners)
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
144972
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The central figure of this thangka is most likely Rakta Yamari. Rakta Yamari is a meditational deity and a wrathful form of Manjushri. Wrathful deities in Tibetan or Tantric (Vajrayana) Buddhism are beings who take on fierce forms to combat obstructions along the path to enlightenment. In this form, Rakta Yamari has three faces and six arms, as well as a pair of wings; however, his most striking feature is the ritual peg or three-sided dagger (Tib: phurba; Skt: kila) that forms the lower part of...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...