Collection: Bonhams London (Meditational Deities)
Bonhams London (Meditational Deities) | Meditational Deities | Eleven Figurative Forms | Eleven Types of Deities by Appearance | Bonhams London (Painting. Spring, 2017)There are different ways to categorize and organize deities. The two most important distinctions, aside from gender, are form and function. Within the system of the Eleven Figurative Forms in Himalayan style art and iconography there are the five types of deities based on general appearance:
(7) Peaceful Appearance (Deva, Bodhisattva)
(8) Semi-peaceful/Semi-wrathful Appearance (Rishi)
(9) Wrathful Appearance (Raksha)
(10) Animal Headed/Featured Gods & Deities
(11) Warrior Appearance (Drala)
A further system of Eleven Types of Deities by Appearance are enumerated as (which include the five above):
(1) Peaceful Appearance
(2) Semi-peaceful/semi-wrathful Appearance
(3) Wrathful Appearance
(4) Animal Featured Appearance
(5) Warrior Appearance
(6) Universal Appearance
(7) Layered Appearance (Deities & Figures)
(8) Stacked Appearance
(9) Ithyphallic Appearance
(10) Androgynous & Gender Reversed Appearance
(11) Weird Gods & Fantastical Appearance
Meditational deities perform the function of an imagined object of meditation. The object can be static or it can be dynamic and worked into a ritualized series of active meditations following a traditional set of guidelines.
The peaceful deities below are: HAR #2168, 2169, 2170, 2177, 2178, 2193, 2194, 2199, 2205, 2207, 2209, 2221.
The semi-peaceful/semi-wrathful deities are: HAR #2165, 2167, 2175, 2192, 2201, 2207, 2210.
The wrathful deities are: HAR #2162, 2183, 2186, 2206, 2211, 2212.
Jeff Watt 3-2017
