Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Shri Devi (Buddhist Protector) - Dudsolma

དཔལ་ལྡན་ལྷ་མོ། 吉祥天母(佛教护法)
(item no. 65171)
Origin Location Western Tibet
Date Range 1300 - 1399
Lineages Buddhist
Size 41.91x15.88cm (16.50x6.25in)
Material Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton
Collection Rubin Museum of Art
Catalogue # acc. #C2003.1.1
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Appearance: Wrathful

Gender: Female

Interpretation / Description

Shri Devi (English: Glorious Goddess. Tibetan: pal den lha mo). The principal consort for the enlightened protector Mahakala and the main female protector of the Sakya School.

The Glorious Goddess with Four Arms is a popular subject in the Western Himalayas. The figure in the top register riding a horse, or mule, is the Glorious Goddess. The three figures in the three lower registers, riding a horse, pig and a camel, are the three principal attendants commonly seen on wall murals throughout north India and the western Himalayas. The three pennant flags are also characteristic of this region and time period.

Jeff Watt 5-2005

Secondary Images
Related Items
Exhibition Appearances
Exhibition: Female Buddhas at RMA

Thematic Sets
Buddhist Deity: Deities (Female)
Buddhist Protectors: Enlightened (Female)
Buddhist Protector: Shri Devi, Dudsolma
Buddhist Deity: Shri Devi (Nyingma)
Buddhist Protector: Shri Devi (Early Works)
Buddhist Protector: Shri Devi Main Page
Buddhist Protector: Shri Devi, Dudsol Dokam Wangchugma
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art (RMA): Main Page