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This form of Chaturmukha Mahakala, with minor differences in detail from the Sakya form, was created by Terdag Lingpa Gyurme Dorje at the request of five monks from the Lhukang Temple.

The two examples below are somewhat different in detail from each other although both of the iconographic forms follow the general description of Chaturmukha as written in the text of Terdag Lingpa. The coloured image is of a small mural from an equally small protector chapel in Mindrolling Monastery in Tibet.

Mahakala, Chaturmukha (Four-faced Great Black One) associated with the Guhyasamaja Tantra along with the Twenty-five and Fifty Chapter Mahakala Tantras. Aside from the Sarma Tradition Chaturmukha later Nyingma Revealed Treasure Traditions (terma) of Chaturmukha arose.

According to the Sakya Tradition this form of Mahakala with four faces and four arms is rarely depicted in art and virtually never shown to those who are uninitiated. The early Sakya Teachers devised a simplified form of the deity to be depicted on paintings as a place card-holder for the true image and form which was considered too secret and dangerous to display publicly. The simplified form is that of what has come to be known as Brahmanarupa Mahakala. (See below for a short history).

Drogdze Wangmo, (English: the Powerful Friend): protector of the Nyingma Terma (Treasure) Tradition. This protector deity was popularized in the 18th and 19th centuries by the Mindrolling Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

"...One Mother, Mistress of the Three Realms, with a body maroon in colour, ferocious and frightful in appearance, with one face and two hands. In the right, eating the heart of an enemy, blood dripping and warm. Reflecting the Three Realms - the left holds a mirror. Wearing an upper garment of white silk, a tiger skin lower garment and a fresh human skin cloak. Dark brown hair hanging downward, earrings, a crown of five dry skulls and a necklace of fifty fresh, a garland of bones and a long necklace; standing haughtily with the left leg extended..." (Min-ling Lochen Dharmashri, 1654-1718. Tibetan source text TBRC W18, part II, pp.261-262).

The incarnation line of the Panchen Lama is a popular subject in Tibetan art. The majority of Panchen Lama paintings found in museum and private collections originate in the early 18th century with a single set of drawings and subsequent block prints. They are believed to be created at the famous printing house of Nartang Monastery (just West of Shigatse and Tashi Lhunpo Monastery).

A complete example of a painted set of compositions  belongs to the collection of Tibet House, New Delhi.

The Nartang set does not contain Amitabha, Padmasambhava or Atisha. Therefore, the set does not begin with Amitabha but rather most likely uses, as the central image, the current (for the time) Panchen Lama. All of the other previous incarnations would properly hang to the right and left side of the current and centrally positioned Panchen Lama. It would seem probable that at the time of the creation of the Nartang set it ended with the 2nd Panchen Lama Lobzang Yeshe (1663-1737).

The images below represent the incarnation line of Panchen Lamas in a single composition. Three of the paintings are very good examples that clearly depict different artistic styles. Two of those paintings are also exceptional because of the portrait quality of the facial features of the central figures.

The Milarepa Main Page has been updated with additional images.

As a sub-theme of the Five Forms of Tsongkapa, the mahasiddha form is sometimes depicted as the central figure of a composition surrounded by smaller figures of the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas. So far six paintings have been identified with four of them included on the HAR website.

Two of the HAR images belong to sets likely likely including depictions of the other forms of Tsongkapa: HAR #65347, 77237. Three of the remaining paintings appear to have all been created based on a single model. Two of these are HAR #74042 and 90748. All of the individual compositions and sets of paintings identified thus far depict the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas according to the Vajrasana System.

The Tsuglakang Temple at the center of Lhasa is a great repository of works of art from the 8th century up to the present. This page of sculpture exhibits a selection of teachers from most traditions of Tibetan Buddhism in a range of sculptural and artistic styles. Like painting, sculpture can also have unique styles and stylistic traditions created by famous artists and family traditions.  (Not all of the images in the Tsuglakang Temple selection have been catalogued at this time).

This List of religious traditions, sub-schools and lineages below is intended to identify the traditional leadership structure of each tradition down to the present time. The current title and name of the leader has been added where possible. Following the name of the tradition and leader is a brief description of the known art and relevance for the tradition.

This is a work in progress with more names, content and links to be added.

Warrior Appearance is unique because it is based on Tibetan culture and not Indian cultural iconography. Warrior Appearance also describes both a look and a function. The appearance is that of a warrior and the function is that of an indeginous Tibetan god that has been subjugated, converted, and now employed as a Buddhist protector deity - called a Worldly Protector.

Warrior Appearance is distinct because nothing else in Tantric iconography really looks the same. A warrior is characterized as a male figure wearing a helmet, battle armor, boots and riding a horse. The warrior can hold a range of objects/attributes such as a riding whip, sword or spear. The warrior appearance is what defines the iconographic type, however the facial expressions can range from peaceful, semi-peaceful/wrathful, all the way to extremely wrathful. For this reason it is possible to confuse Warrior Appearance for Wrathful Deity Appearance. It is the over-all visual form of the warrior that is important, not the specific facial expressions. Always notice first the horse, the battle helmet, the body armor and the felt boots.

There are a very small number of human monastic figures that can be confused with Buddha figures. All of the human monastic teachers listed below have basic monastic appearance with the additional Buddha characteristic of the ushnisha on the crown of the head. Some of the figures typically display the gesture of teaching, or Turning the Wheel of Dharma. Occasionally there might also be the urna, single hair tuft, or white dot between the eyebrows.


- Rahula (arhat): commonly depicted with an ushnisha on the crown of the head

- Nagarjuna: commonly depicted with an ushnisha & teaching gesture

- Garab Dorje: commonly depicted with an ushnisha

- Padmasambhava, Shakya Sengge: commonly depicted with an ushnisha

- Sakya Pandita: commonly depicted with an ushnisha & teaching gesture


Monastic Appearance and Arhat Appearance are also similar to each other. There can be overlap in appearance which can lead to confusion in identification. The facial expressions of Arhats, the colours of the robes and the context of the composition are often very different from the depictions of Tibetan monastic figures. Arhats also do not have hats and rarely if ever have Tantric attributes such as a vajra or bell.

There are several types of objects that are created to represent offerings in Himalayan and Tibetan art. They can first be divided by medium: sculpture, painting and textile - applique and embroidery. Most of these objects are created as sets making it important to be aware of the Number Sets associated with offering objects.

The various mediums for sculpture can be almost anything that can render an object in three dimensions. Metal, clay, wood or stone are the most common materials. Painting and textile are only divided by medium and technique, otherwise the subjects and uses are the same for both. There are three styles of physical format: portrait, landscape and banner. The banners are very long horizontal scrolls intended to hang in temples. The portrait and landscape format styles are generally more iconographic while the banners are more decorative with repeating designs and motifs

Sculpture is employed primarily for Peaceful Offerings subjects & types:

- Human Figure

- Animal Figure

- Symbol Sets

- Mandala Plate



Painting and textiles are used more for Wrathful Offerings, subjects and types:

- Mount Meru & Miscellaneous Offerings

- Stylized Food (torma)

- Animals (from sets of offering paintings)

- Multiple Deity Attributes in a single composition

- Single Deity Attribute Composition

An Offerings in Art Outline Page has been added.

The Weird & Fantastical Gods & Deities Outline Page has been updated. Links have also been added to the other pages of weird subjects on the HAR website. Work still remains to be done on the main subject page of Weird & Fantastical Gods & Deities such as adding the various links to pages and outlines. There are also more weird gods and deities to include in this growing section.

This is a list of the most famous founding teachers of Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhism. It is not definitive and not complete. For example, although Shabdrung Ngagwang Namgyal (1594-1651) is credited with the founding of the state of Bhutan, he did not necessarily introduce the Drugpa Kagyu Tradition to the region of Bhutan. Pajo Drugom Zhigpo (1208-1276) introduced Drugpa Kagyu to the region of Bhutan in the 13th century. For Shalu Monastery, Buton Tamche Khyenpa Rinchen Drub (1290-1364) was certainly the most famous teacher but he did not found the monastery, that was done in 1040 by Chetsun Sherab Jungne. It is also important to understand that founders of monasteries are not always founders of traditions of Buddhism, such as with Chetsun. It is difficult to find images for a number of the early founders of the various traditions, lineages and monasteries such as Pajo, Chetsun Sherab Jungne and others.

The various works of art depicting Ling Gesar, and associated topics, can be divided into two mediums (painting and sculpture) and four general subjects solely based on the works that have been identified in museum and private collections thus far.


The Four Gesar Art Subjects:

[1] Gesar Life Story - Painting Set

[2] Gesar & the Thirty Warriors - Painting Set

[3] Gesar Norbu Dradul (painting or sculpture)

[4] Gesar Dorje Tsegyal (painting or sculpture)

The works documented are primarily from the time period prior to 1960. In the future, there will of course be many more paintings, sculpture and murals identified as the field of Himalayan and Tibetan art develops with time, interest and resources.

The subject of lineage is one of the most common topics and visual depictions in Tibetan and Himalayan art. The two most commonly portrayed lineage types, in both painting and sculpture, are Teaching & Initiation Lineages followed by Incarnation Lineages. The more famous the lineage the more often it will be found represented in works of art.

The subject of lineage is best approached through the Three Essential Lineage Topics:

1. Definition & Three Similar Words

2. Three General Types of Lineage

3. Three Buddhist Traditions & Lineages

Milarepa was the most famous poet saint of Tibet. He is today principally known for his singing, leading a yogi lifestyle and for being a student of Marpa Chokyi Lodro.

However, before finding Marpa, Milarepa had a number of well known teachers. From amongst the many students of Milarepa the most famous are Rechungpa, Gampopa and the mountain goddess Tseringma. Each of Milarepa's teachers and each of Milarepa's students had many other disciples and students. From many of those teachers and students arose numerous lineages of teachings.

Garwa Nagpo, Damchen (English: the Avowed Blacksmith), the principal attendant deity in the entourage of the Tibetan worldly protector Dorje Legpa. Garwa Nagpo can typically be found in art as a retinue figure in paintings of Dorje Legpa or as an independent figure in a painted composition with his own retinue of attendant figures.

Garwa Nagpo is generally found as a standard protector deity in the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma Traditions. Some Gelug monasteries and incarnate lama traditions (trulku) have also adopted Garwa Nagpo as their special protector deity.

Dorje Legpa and his retinue, including Damchen Garwa Nagpo, were originally believed to be subjugated in Tibet by Padmasambhava in the 8th century. They are avowed, oath-bound, protectors and perform the specific function of safeguarding the Nyingma Terma (treasure) tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

General Description: Wrathful with one face and two hands, he is dark blue in colour, with three eyes, bared fangs and bright orange or brown hair flaming upward. The right hand holds aloft a vajra hammer and the left a blacksmith's bellows made of striped tiger skin. Adorned with a crown of five dry skulls and earrings he is lavishly attired in variously coloured full-length garments and felt boots. Riding atop a brown goat with two horns he is surrounded most often by grey or dark brown smoke along with licks of orange and yellow flame.

Damchen Garwa Nagpo can be accompanied by an assortment of retinue figures as described in the various ritual texts belonging to the different Nyingma Traditions of 'Revealed Treasure' (terma). Also, Garwa Nagpo is sometimes depicted with the accompanying figures of a black bear, fox, wild blue mule and a grey wolf. The animals function as servant-like messengers for the protector.

The Tsang Nyon Heruka page has been updated with the addition of a short biography.