Himalayan Art Resources

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Eleven Types of Deities in Himalayan Art - Added

In Himalayan style art there are basically Eleven Types of Deity Appearance. The first five appearances are the same as those found in the Eleven Figurative Forms which describe all figurative forms - persons and deities. Those first five are the main types of deity appearance in Himalayan art and the most common. The additional six are minor forms of deity appearance and include (6) Universal Appearance, (7) Layered Appearance (Deities & Figures), (8) Stacked Appearance, (9) Ithyphallic Appearance, (10) Androgynous & Gender Reversed Appearance and (11) Weird Gods & Fantastical Appearance.

Stacked Deities - Added

Stacked Deities are an unusual iconographic form where two or more deities are stacked one above the other. Often they are sitting around the neck of the deity below or standing on the shoulders. Stacked deities are found in both Hindu, Bon and Buddhist iconography.