Himalayan Art Resources

Item: King - Gesar

རྒྱལ་པོ། 国王
(item no. 90715)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1800 - 1899
Lineages Nyingma
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Tibet House, New York
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Person

Appearance: Warrior

Gender: Male

Interpretation / Description

Gesar, King.

Dressed as a warrior, holding upraised in the right hand a riding crop, in the left is a lance with a lasso looped about the forearm. Tall pendants stream from the crown of the helmet. Atop a red horse, moon disc and multi-coloured lotus seat, he is surrounded by billowing white-grey clouds filled with wild animals and birds. The animals are the 'Werma Chu Sum' - thirteen special attendant figures. Two attendant figures riding horses are placed at the right and left sides.

At the top center is Amitabha Buddha with Shakyamuni Buddha at the left and white Padmapani Avalokiteshvara at the right. In the left corner is Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava and in the right is Green Tara.

In the foreground are seven more mounted figures dressed as warriors riding amongst the clouds.

Jeff Watt 2-2000

Related Items
Thematic Sets
Collection of Tibet House: New York (Repatriation)
King: Gesar Norbu Dradul
Deity, Tibetan: Warrior Appearance (Drala)
King: Gesar Main Page