News

A Hats of the Himalayas - Four Principal Styles Page has been updated. (See the Glossary: Hats of the Himalayas).

A Glossary of Hats of the Himalayas has been added. It is a work in progress with more definitions, links and examples to be added. (See the Main Glossary Page).

This photo of an iconographically unique Manjushri sculpture with gold leaf was taken at Bodhgaya, India, in 1980. The sculpture resided in the small Ha Ha Gobi temple across the lane from the entrance to the main Bodhgaya Temple. Sometime after the late 1980s the sculpture disappeared. Has anyone seen this Manjushri sculpture?

The Himalayan Art Resources Team (HAR) is interested to know if this painting of Shri Devi Dudsolma belongs to a museum, institution or private collection. Between 1970 and 1974 the painting appeared as a large format poster printed on paper, offered for sale, approximately 3 feet by 2 feet in size. There was no printing or copyright information located on the front or back of the poster. If possible the HAR Team would like to locate the original painting and owner.

A gallery for Black Hats & Blue Hats has been added.

There are three famous Tibetan & Mongolian teachers known for wearing a characteristic black hat. Two of the hats were gifts from the Chinese Yongle Emperor. The three teachers are the incarnation line of the Gyalwa Karmapas, Jamchen Choje Shakya Yeshe, founder of Sera Monastery, and Zanabazar (Yeshe Dorje). The black hat of the Karmapas has two different styles, simple and ornate. The simple black hat is made of cloth and considered a type of utility hat intended to be worn daily. The ornate and heavily jewelled hat is reserved for important religious gatherings and rituals. The hat of Shakya Yeshe is designed like a Five Buddha initiation crown, a hat commonly used in Vajrayana Buddhist rituals. The black colour on the hat of Zanabazar is from the thick trim and upturned flaps made of dark animal fur lining the inside and surrounding brim.

Additional images have been added to the Dali Kingdom sculpture page.

A gallery for White Chakrasamvara has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

A gallery for Mahakala Riding a Tiger (Vyagrha-vahana) has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

The Densatil Monastery Sculpture Page has been further updated with additional images.

A gallery has been created for the Sukhavati Pureland paintings by the Eastern Tibetan artist Trehor Namkha Gyan.

The Trehor Namkha Gyan Main Page has been updated with additional images.

The idea of a universal deity is based entirely on appearance and in some cases relating back to the origin myth and narrative of a particular figure such as the Eleven-faced Avalokiteshvara or the Hindu goddess Durga. Some universal deities are created from the powers and abilities of all the other gods combined, or all of the buddhas of an eon, thus creating a super god or universal deity. Deities such as these are depicted in a unique manner by having multiple heads, arms and legs, often into the thousands.

A gallery for King Gesar has been added to the Masterworks Main Page.

Stamps are used for making multiple copies of edible 'mantra' charms. After stamping and creating edible paper copies the paper imprints are then carefully rolled and stored in a jar or some type of container. Typically they would be blessed by a teacher who is an expert in mantra practice. The paper imprints are swallowed as needed, depending on the illness or condition, or according to auspicious days of the Lunar calendar. For example, edible mantras, appropriately blessed, have been a long standing treatment for individuals with epilepsy.

There are only a few prominent Female Teachers depicted in sculpture or in painting as the central subject. There are many more women depicted in lineage paintings and murals, specifically the Sakya Lamdre and Vajrayogini Lineages and also the more recent Nyingma Mindrolling Lineage.

A sculpture set depicting the teachers of the Lamdre Lineage is slowly being re-assembled. Other sculptures are known but not yet with images on the HAR website. The total number of figures in the set is not currently known.

Gyalse Kalzang Tubten Jigme (1743-1811 [TBRC P178]) was a student of the 3rd Panchen Lama. He received novice monastic vows from the 7th Dalai Lama and final vows from Purbu Chog Ngagwang Champa and a was a strong exponent of the Krishnacharya Chakrasamvara system of Tantra.

The story of the creation of the original Seven Buddhas painting set (of the Qianlong Period) and subsequent copies involves three main characters: the 3rd Panchen Lama, Lobzang Palden Yeshe (1738-1780), the Qianlong Emperor of China (1711-1799) and Changkya Rolpai Dorje (1717-1786).

The Black Ground Qianlong Period (1735-1796) style paintings were Chinese imperial commissions and generally inscribed and dated with verses in Tibetan, Mongolian, Manchu and Chinese language. They were often created as sets. The Qianlong paintings are related to the Tantric Black Ground paintings only in appearance, but NOT in origin or concept. The Qianlong paintings are unique to that time period and situation.

A gallery for the Tangut Region of China has been added and linked to the Regions, Countries & Places Main Page.