Himalayan Art Resources

Subject: Karmapa (Painting Chronology)

Karmapa Art History Page

Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Central Figure
- Secondary Figure
- Confusions
- Others...

Video: Karmapa: Early Portrait Paintings

13th Century:
- 31344, 2nd Karmapa
- 89141, 1st Karmapa
- 508, 3rd Karmapa (?)
- 68872, 2nd Karmapa
- 68871, 2nd Karmapa

14th Century:
- 57024, 3rd Karmapa
- 8093, 5th Karmapa (1st hat with a vishvavajra)
- 10967, Karmapa (?)
- 88011, 1st Karmapa

15th Century:

16th Century:
- 423, 7th Karmapa (with clouds)
- Two Figure Set, mid 16th century (with clouds)
- 65554, Karmapa (?)
- 81031, Karmapa (?)

17th Century:
- 13729, 7th Karmapa
- 90005, 9th Karmapa
- 163, 9th Karmapa

18th Century:
- 69494, 13th Karmapa
- 3314389, 2nd Karmapa
- 783, 13th Karmapa
- 826, 13th Karmapa
- 15514, 13th Karmapa
- 4041, Karmapa (?)
- 81542, 13th Karmapa
- Others...

Not all 18th century paintings from the HAR database have been included in the list above. The earlier centuries have been populated with all compositions with Karmapa as a central figure. Images of Karmapa as a secondary figure in a composition in early paintings have not yet been reviewed. Many of the compositions listed above belong to much larger painting sets such as the Karma Kagyu Golden Garland Mahamudra Lineage and possibly others.

Jeff Watt 9-2021

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