Item: Mahakala (Buddhist Protector) - Danda (Stick)
| Origin Location | Tibet |
|---|---|
| Date Range | 1600 - 1699 |
| Lineages | Nyingma |
| Size | 68.58x48.26cm (27x19in) |
| Material | Ground Mineral Pigment, Black Background on Cotton |
| Collection | Rubin Museum of Art |
| Catalogue # | acc.# P1994.8.8 |
Classification: Deity
Appearance: Wrathful
Gender: Male
Danda Mahakala (Tibetan: gon po beng leg den nag po sri me gyi bu): a main wisdom protector of the Nyingma School.
Wrathful, black in colour, with one face and two hands he holds upraised in the right a sandalwood staff and a skullcup held to the heart in the left. Wearing a long black cloak he stands atop a corpse seat, sun disc and lotus blossom, surrounded by the flames of wisdom.
At the top center is the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara accompanied by various figures along with Padmasambhava. At the bottom left is the worldly protector Damchen Garwa'i Nagpo along with others in the middle and on the right.
Jeff Watt 9-2000
Buddhist Protectors: Enlightened
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Painting Gallery 6
Painting Type: Black Ground Main Page
Buddhist Protector: Mahakala Main Page
Mahakala: Danda (Stick)
Mahakala: Legden (Bhagavat, Excellent One)