Himalayan Art Resources

Subject: Male Imagery Introduction

Gender & Iconography

General Categories:
- Androgynous Gods, Gender Reversed Deities
- Couples in Art
- Daka & Dakini
- Eleven Figurative Forms
- Ithyphallic Deities
- Male Form versus Female Form (peaceful deities)
- Mountain Gods
- Universal Deities
- Worldly Spirits
- Others...

Videos:
- Gender Confusions
- How to distinguish male from female figures

From the group of Eleven Figurative Forms in Buddhist art the male form is represented in all eleven categories.

Eleven Classes of Figurative Forms in Tibetan Art:
(1) Buddha Appearance
(2) Arhat Appearance
(3) King Appearance
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(4) Monastic Appearance
(5) Lay Figure Appearance
(6) Siddha Appearance
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(7) Peaceful/Deva/Bodhisattva Appearance
(8) Semi-peaceful/Semi-wrathful Appearance
(9) Wrathful Appearance
(10) Animal Headed Gods & Deities
(11) Warrior (Drala) Appearance

Jeff Watt 12-2015


The images below are selected examples representing each of the main subject categories and artistic mediums that the artworks have been divided into; most are accompanied by a written explanation.