Shangpa Karpo: wrathful worldly protector of Tibet.

White in colour (gold painted) with one face and two hands he holds upraised in the right a curved sword and in the left a vajra-tipped lasso and lance. Attired in the garb of a wariour, the head is crowned with a helmet topped with a white conch shell and peacock feathers. In the middle of the chest, marked with the Tibetan letter 'hrih,' is a golden mirror. Riding atop a dark brown horse, he is surrounded by flames of various colour and dark rolling smoke.

At the top center is the buddha Amitabha with the hands in meditation holding a begging bowl. A lama wearing a yellow hat sits directly below. At the top right is Padmasambhava. At the left is the 5th Dalai Lama holding a single white lotus in the right hand, wearing a yellow hat and meditation cloak. Various retinue figures fill the foreground.

Jeff Watt 10-2000