Twenty-one Taras, Panchen Set - Updated
Only nine paintings from this set of Twenty-one Taras are currently accounted for. It is however commonly believed that all twenty-one paintings arrived in North America some 20 or 30 years ago.
The set follows the iconography of the Twenty-one Taras according to the system of Dipamkara Atisha. There are at least five different iconographic systems for depicting the Twenty-one Taras with the Atisha and Suryagupta being the two most popular. The set of compositions follow an easy to read formulaic iconographic composition. The center depicts one of the twenty-one forms of Tara. The top left corner of each composition depicts a major meditational deity of the Gelug Tradition. Often the deities are depicted in a simplified version rather than with multiple heads and arms. The top right corner depicts a previous or post incarnation of the Panchen Lama incarnation line, beginning with the 3rd Panchen, Lobzang Palden Yeshe in the first composition. At the bottom of each composition are one, two or three of the major and minor protector deities of the Gelug Tradition.