Hand Gestures and Mudras Represented in Art
Hand Gestures & Mudras lists the principal buddhas, deities and Indian mahasiddhas and their unique gestures. The list is followed by an alphabetized version with the gestures listed by name.
Depictions of Tibetan and Himalayan teachers are generally depicted using the gestures of Shakyamuni Buddha or one of the Five Symbolic Buddhas. For example Vairochana Buddha is depicted with the hand gesture of Teaching the Dharma. This same gesture is used as the iconic gesture for the famous teachers such as Sakya Pandita, Buton Tamche Kyenpa, Bodong Panchen Chogle Namgyal, Tsongkapa, Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo and a number of Karmapas.
Ninety-nine percent (99%) of all gestures found in Himalayan and Tibetan art are represented in the examples found here which, for the most part, are the original source deities, or subjects, for all of these various gestures and for all subsequent uses and depictions in art.