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The page for the Indian mahasiddha, Shavaripa has been updated. Shavaripa typically appears holding a bow and arrow. Often he wears a lower skirt of peacock feathers.

There are three standard visual presentations for depicting the Panchen Lama Incarnation and Pre-incarnation Lineage. They can be described as short, medium and long. The shortest of the three numbers thirteen figures [13] in total and the best and most complete example of this is a set of paintings in the collection of Tibet House, New Delhi.

The medium length enumeration and visual depiction adds two more figures - Padmasambhava and Atisha for a total of fifteen [15]. A wood block print edition of the Prajnaparamita Sutra decorated with numerous Buddhas, deities, individual teachers and lineages of teachers and incarnations best highlights the inclusion of the two additional figures of the medium enumeration.

The longest presentation of the incarnation lineage adds four more Indian teachers for a total of nineteen [19] individuals and potentially nineteen individual painted compositions. The numbers of thirteen, fifteen and nineteen are all three based on the central figure of the earliest and most important of the sets being the person of the 3rd Panchen Lama, Lobzang Palden Yeshe (1738-1780). It was during the later life of the 3rd Panchen that the sets of incarnation paintings became widespread and popular.

A Parnashavari Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

An early Tibetan mandala of Ekallavira Achala in a private collection:
An Art Historical Analysis by Pratapaditya Pal.


The history of portable Tibetan painting can now be confidently pushed back to the eleventh century. Buddhism was officially introduced to the country under the great ruler Song-tsen Gampo (r. 609-649) of the Yarlung dynasty and one can form a good idea of the architecture and sculpture of this early historical period; but significant evidence for Tibetan painting of any kind, cannot be traced back much earlier than the tenth century. (Read the full article).

The Padmasambhava Main Page has been updated with new pages along with smoother navigation between pages and sections. There still remains a considerable amount of work to organize the painting sets particularly for the Eight Main Forms, Terma Representations and Life Story.

An Atisha Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

A White Tara Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

There is a prevalent myth concerning Eastern deities or gods that have three eyes - two regular and a third eye at the center of the forehead. The myth with regard to Buddhist iconography and Himalayan style art is that any deity with three eyes means that the deity is enlightened and on the same level as a Buddha.

Padmapani, as a name for Lokeshvara, is very much a Sanskrit language term coming out of the Sutra and Mahayana traditions of Buddhism. The Tibetan language translation of the name Padmapani is not easily found in the Tibetan literature. The name is also not commonly, if ever, found in Vajrayana Buddhism where the forms of Lokeshvara are understood as meditational deities with clear descriptions and meanings taught in the various Tantra texts. The most common Sanskrit names for the deity in Vajrayana Buddhism are Lokeshvara, Avalokita, Avalokiteshvara, Lokanata and Mahakarunika. After that there are scores of names for specific forms of Lokeshvara - peaceful, wrathful and in-between.

It is interesting to note that in the study of Art History the term Padmapani is almost exclusively used with reference to sculpture and not painting.

The general description of Padmapani is of a peaceful male deity, seated or standing, wearing a crown, jewels and heavenly garments, holding a flower, or stem of a flower in the left hand that blossoms at the level of the shoulder. This type of appearance can also be called bodhisattva appearance. Peaceful deity appearance and bodhisattva appearance are the same. Any figure that fits this description could also be called a 'lotus holder' without drawing a connection to Lokeshvara.

A specific description of Lokeshvara Padmapani and a positive identification requires in addition to the characteristics above, Amitabha Buddha on the crown of the head, and a krishnasara deer skin over the left shoulder.

A Prajnaparamita Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

The Milarepa Main Page has been updated with new images and pages along with smoother navigation between pages. Additional work has been done on identifying single composition life stories and life story painting sets.

The Masterworks Main Page has been divided for easier navigation into three sub sections: Subject Sets, Teachers and Deities.

A School of Zanabazar Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

The Dalai Lama Main Page has been updated with additional images and content.

The only complete painting sets of the Dalai Lama incarnation lineage are the Gold Silk Set of Tibet House, New Delhi, and the five composition set of the Field Museum, Chicago. Both sets use the same exact iconographic model. The Tibet House set is unpainted while the Field Museum is fully painted and one of the finest examples known.

Unlike the subject of the Panchen Lamas, the Dalai Lama subject has very few paintings where the incarnation lineage is composed within a single painting. Only one example is represented here - single composition full lineage.

A Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

A Marpa Chokyi Lodro Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

A Milarepa Gallery has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

A Twelve Yaksha Generals Page has been added to the Masterworks Main Page. The Twelve Generals make up part of the Fifty-one Deity Mandala of Medicine Buddha. Each of the generals holds a unique attribute in their right hand and a mongoose in the left hand. Because of the general look, expression and attire which is known as King Appearance in Himalayan Style Art it is very common for the individual figures of the Generals to be miss-identified as either Vaishravana, Jambhala or the very elusive Kubera.

The so called Crowned Buddha has been a source of much discussion in the academic art world for decades. Generally the crowned Buddha is believed to be a depiction of Shakyamuni Buddha with the added attribute of a crown such as a king would wear. The notable difference between Shakyammuni Buddha wearing a crown and the Five Symbolic Buddhas is that they, unlike the Buddha, also wear fine heavenly clothing along with rich adornments such as earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Shakyamuni still maintains his nirmanakaya - monastic - appearance plus the added crown. The Five Symbolic Buddhas appear in sambhogakaya form with the full dress of a bodhisattva or heavenly being.

Shakyamuni Buddha & the Vajra Seat refers to the the vajra scepter located on the seat in front of the Buddha. It is always horizontal rather than upright and appears as if partially sunk into the seat. The scepter refers to the time and geographic location where the Buddha reached enlightenment at Bodhgaya (Vajrasana), India. He was also seated in vajrasana posture with the right leg folded over the left and was mentally focussed on the vajra samadhi meditation.