Painting Set: Panjarnata Eight Deity [I]
Panjarnata Art History
Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Panjarnata Eight Deity [Single Composition]
- Panjaranata Mahakala Page
- Five Activity Protectors
- Sakya Protectors Outline
The recent discovery of a portrait painting of Jamgon Amnyezhab (1597-1659) allows us to identify him as the donor figure in each painting in this painting set. In two of the paintings, he is wearing a pandita hat, so it is not easy to identify his distinctive hairstyle, however, it is visible in one of the paintings when he is seen in profile. The date of this painting set has been revised accordingly to the 1600s.
There are several iconographic and stylistic features which make it clear that these paintings belong to the same set. Iconographically, the retinue of Panjarnata with Eight Deities is distributed among the three paintings. Two of the Five Activity Protectors (Kala Rakshasa and Kala Rakshasi) are next to Panjarnata Mahakala in one painting, the remaining three Activity Protectors (Putra, Batra and Singmo) get their own painting, then Ekajati and Sri Devi get their own painting as well. Stylistically, they are all painted with fine gold line, minimal shading and little use of other pigments except red and white.
Nick Dharmadi [10-2026]
