Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Direction Guardian (Buddhist Deity) - (multiple figures)

རྒྱལ་ཆེན་རིགས་བཞི། 四大天王
(item no. 65828)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1700 - 1799
Lineages Buddhist
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Private
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Appearance: King

Gender: Male

Interpretation / Description

Virupaksha and Virudhaka, the Guardian Kings of the West and South. Virupaksha stands at the viewer's upper left. He holds a jeweled lasso with both hands. More commonly Virupaksha holds a snake in the right hand and a single pearl or jewel in the left. Virudhaka holds a sword. At the bottom left is a raksha demon attendant figure.

This painting belongs to an eleven painting set depicting Shakyamuni Buddha, the Sixteen Arhats, Dharmatala and Hvashang, and finally the Four Guardian Kings. No other paintings from this set are currently accounted for.

Jeff Watt 2-2008