In Buddhist Tibet, patrons and monks commissioned thangka art, or sacred painting, to focus their meditations and prayers. Painted with blue, orange, and red pigments, this 19th-century thangka depicts Chenresi, the Buddha of Infinite Compassion and the embodiment of mercy. With enlightened consciousness and boundless compassion, Chenresi offers guidance to all those that call upon him with their mind.
Seated in diamond position upon a lotus throne, Chenresi is shown here before a mountainous landscape, backed by a blue and orange nimbus and flanked by minor deities and bodhisattvas. On his head is a five-pointed crown, symbolizing the Five Wisdoms of Enlightenment. He is depicted here with four faces and eight arms, each holding a ritual object or weapon. Among these objects are the wheel of law, a symbol of Buddhist teachings, the bow and arrow, symbolizing the accuracy of determined intellect, and the vajra scepter, a symbol of compassion, the most powerful energy in the universe.
Although elements of the original fabric surround have been lost to time, this thangka retains its original dark silk brocade backing and has been carefully mounted within a black frame. Frame included.
