Kings: Shambhala (Deity Iconography)

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Shambhala Kings Iconography

Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Description
- List of Kings
- Outline
- Jonang Iconography
- Palpung Iconography
- Masterworks
- Confusions
- Others...

Video: Shambhala Kings of the Jonang

Painting Sets:
- Palpung Composition Set 1
- Palpung Composition Set 2
- Palpung Composition Set 3
- Painting Set 8 (8 figures)
- Painting Set 10
- Palpung Miscellaneous
- Others...

Database Search: All Images

Jeff Watt [updated 12-2020]

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A Classification of Karma sgar ris and Related Styles by Tashi Tsering

"Like Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) of South India in the late nineteenth century, if I may suggest an analogy, Si tu paṇ chen attempted to portray the divine and mythological forms of Sham bha la kings in a slightly more human form. The Sham bha la kings can be drawn in wrathful or peaceful aspects, but Si tu paṇ chen preferred the peaceful ones. Faces in Si tu’s paintings are realistic; most bodies are close to human anatomy. This could partly be due to the fact that Si tu was a physician. His rendition has an instantly recognizable artistic touch."

"The autobiography gives us a glimpse of Si tu paṇ chen’s remarkable productivity in making paintings and sculptures. It is also an inventory of his work. The exception to his meticulous cataloguing of his output (see Appendix Two) is that, in his autobiography, one cannot find a specific reference to his painting the Kam tshang bka’ brgyud gser phreng – this set still surviving in Dpal spungs is signed “ri mo’i byed po mangga’i ming,” which credits it to Kar shod karma bkra shis – or the kings of Sham bha la thang kas. There is only a reference to his having a dream of Rigs ldan rgyal dka’ in 1770.38" (Tashi Tsering).

For more information please read the article by Tashi Tsering A Classification of Karma sgar ris and Related Styles. Also see an Alternate link.

(The images below are only a selection of examples from the links above).