Item: Worldly Protector (Buddhist)

Protector Deity [unidentified]. (See Worldly Deities Page, Mountain Gods & Local Deities, and Protector Deities Main Page).

The large central figure depicts a Tibetan Tantric practitioner. He is a layman evidenced by the clothing, white conch earrings, wide eyed, and with a long beard. Atop the head is an orange pandita hat with a dark string veil strung across the front (domra). Upraised in the right hand is a white human bone trumpet adorned with a red ribbon. The outstretched left hand holds a lasso. Seated precariously on the back of a fierce black yak with sharp horns, he is completely surrounded by brown wispy smoke. To the lower right is a smaller yak carrying two human-like corpses slumped over the back. Again, behind that yak is another even smaller form of a yak - following the others - possibly a father, mother and child.

In front of the yak is a standing male attendant figure holding a sword and a lasso and wearing a broad rimmed hat in the manner of a 'gyalpo' spirit. Behind the yak is a standing female figure, peaceful in appearance, holding an arrow in the right hand and a vase in the left.

At the top center is Padmasambhava holding a vajra scepter in the outstretched right hand and a skullcup in the upraised left hand. At the left side is Jowo Atisha and on the right Tsongkapa wearing a yellow pandita hat.

At the bottom center is a blue wrathful figure riding a black horse. On the left side is a peaceful female figure, blue in colour, riding a blue horse. At the bottom right side is Tsi'u Marpo, red in colour, riding a red horse.

Jeff Watt 12-2012