Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Teacher (Lama) - Teacher

བླ་མ། 喇嘛
(item no. 63)
Origin Location Tibet
Date Range 1500 - 1599
Lineages Sakya and Buddhist
Size 85.73x53.98cm (33.75x21.25in)
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Rubin Museum of Art
Catalogue # acc.# P1994.17.1
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Person

Appearance: Monastic

Gender: Male

Interpretation / Description

Shangton Chobar (1053-1135 [P4574]) possibly or Bari Lotsawa Rinchen Drag (1040-1111 [P3731]): wearing monastic robes and holding upraised a garland of prayer beads. There has been historic confusion over the iconographic depiction of Shangton. Sometimes he is described as being a monk and at other times a layman. Educated opinion believes he was a layman and that Bari was a monk.

At the middle left is Sachen Kunga Nyingpo. On the right is his eldest son, Sonam Tsemo.

At the top left is Amitabha Buddha and the white Samputa Vajrasattva. At the right is Medicine Buddha and orange Manjuvajra Guhyasamaja. Four other buddhas descend at the right and left sides.

Along the bottom starting from the left are Black Jambhala, Yellow Jambhala, the wealth goddess Vasudhara, Brahmarupa Mahakala, Panjarnata Mahakala and Shri Devi.

Jeff Watt 9-2003

Secondary Images
Related Items
Thematic Sets
Subject: Margapala Lineage Paintings (Sakya)
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Painting Gallery 6
Tradition: Sakya Teachers
Painting Style: Tibet (Balri)
Tradition: Sakya Founders
Teacher Portraits: Multiple Main Figures
Subject: Conservation & Restoration, Sakya Lama Set
Subject: Margapala Sets (three figures)
Painting Set: Margapala [8]
Teacher: Shangton Chobar (Lamdre Lineage)
Subject: Prayer Beads (Iconography)