Illustrations
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This woodcut depicts the 'Effigy of the Dead Person,' a central element in Tibetan funerary rituals described in the Bardo Thodol. The figure is shown in a meditative posture on a lotus throne, surrounded by five symbolic offerings—a mirror, conch shell, lyre, vase of flowers, and holy cake—which represent the purification of the senses and the preparation of the soul for its journey through the intermediate state (bardo).
This circular portrait depicts the editor, W.Y. Evans-Wentz (left), and the translator, Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup (right), in Gangtok, Sikkim. Their collaboration was instrumental in bringing the 'Bardo Thodol,' or 'Tibetan Book of the Dead,' to a Western audience in the early 20th century.
Visual Art
Browse all art →35 works of visual art in this collection
paintingTantric Buddha Vairochana as Vajrasattva
Anonymous (Central Tibet)
This painting depicts the central figure of Vairochana in the guise of Vajrasattva, seated in meditation with his hands in the dharmachakra mudra, surrounded by a retinue of bodhisattvas and other deities.
paintingBuddha Amoghasiddhi with Eight Bodhisattvas
Anonymous (Central Tibetan)
The central green-skinned Buddha Amoghasiddhi is depicted in a meditative posture, surrounded by eight Bodhisattvas in a structured mandala-like composition.
paintingMahakala, Protector of the Tent
Anonymous (Central Tibetan)
The wrathful deity Mahakala (specifically the two-armed Panjarnata form) stands centrally, surrounded by an entourage of secondary protective deities and lineage lamas.
paintingMandala of Raktayamari
Anonymous (Central Tibetan)
A Tibetan Buddhist thangka depicting the mandala of the wrathful deity Raktayamari, featuring the central deity in union with his consort surrounded by four directional deities and various attendant figures.
paintingPortraits of Two Lineage Masters of the Kagyu Order
Anonymous (Central Tibetan)
Two central Tibetan Kagyu lineage masters are depicted in a seated, frontal posture, engaged in a conversation or ritual exchange.
paintingTsong Khapa, Founder of the Geluk Order
Anonymous (Central Tibetan)
A central, large-scale portrait of the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Tsong Khapa surrounded by a lineage of smaller figures, including deities and scholars.
paintingTwenty-three Deity Nairatma Mandala
Anonymous (Central Tibetan, Sakya)
This painting depicts the Nairatma mandala, a complex geometric diagram housing twenty-three deities, with the blue-skinned, dancing deity Nairatma at the center, surrounded by her retinue of goddesses and attendant figures within a square palace structure.
paintingAchala, King of the Wrathful Ones
Anonymous (Chinese, Southern Song)
A central, wrathful blue-skinned figure of Achala (Acala) holding a sword and lasso, standing upon two subjugated figures, surrounded by a frame of secondary deities.
paintingEmbroidered Thangka — The Seventh Bodhisattva
Anonymous (Ming Dynasty)
A central red-skinned Bodhisattva seated in a meditative posture on a lotus throne, flanked by ritual vases and surrounded by intricate floral vine patterns.
paintingAchala with His Consort Vishvavajri
Anonymous (Newar)
The wrathful Buddhist deity Achala is depicted in sexual union (yab-yum) with his consort Vishvavajri, surrounded by a flaming aureole and smaller manifestations of deities.
paintingBejeweled Buddha Preaching
Anonymous (Newar)
A central, bejeweled Buddha figure is depicted preaching to a group of devotees and bodhisattvas, framed by smaller vignettes of narrative scenes.
paintingChakrasamvara and Vajravarahi
Anonymous (Newar)
A Newar thangka painting depicting the Buddhist deity Chakrasamvara in union with his consort Vajravarahi, surrounded by a lineage of smaller deities.
paintingMandala of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi
Anonymous (Newar)
A Newar-style mandala depicting the deity Chakrasamvara in union with his consort Vajravarahi at the center of a celestial palace.
paintingNagarjuna with a Buddhist Master
Anonymous (Newar)
This painting depicts the Indian Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna seated to the left, engaged in a discussion or transmission with a contemporary monastic Buddhist master.
paintingTemple Banner with Pilgrimage Sites — Svayambhu-purana
Anonymous (Newar)
A Newar Buddhist scroll painting depicting the pilgrimage sites and mythological narrative associated with the Svayambhu Purana.
Tantric scriptures, Tibetan Buddhist texts, and the living tradition of the Himalayan world. The Bardo Thodol (Tibetan Book of the Dead), the songs of Milarepa, and the vast tantric literature that transforms consciousness through visualization, mantra, and ritual. Includes the pioneering translations of W.Y. Evans-Wentz and early European encounters with Tibetan Buddhism.
All Books
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