Tibetan Thangka of Chakrasamvara

Thangkas are devotional paintings displayed by Buddhists in their homes, monasteries, and temples. The deep red, orange, green, and blue hues are quietly vibrant in this sacred 19th-century Tibetan Thangka. At the painting's center is Samvara, the primary deity of the Chakrasamvara Tantra. Samvara is typically depicted with blue skin, four faces, and a multitude of arms, embracing his partner Vajravarahi. Considered a single entity, the pair's embrace represents the union of eternal bliss and emptiness. The many arms of Samvara each hold a different sacred Buddhist object, as five additional Buddhas grace the outer edges of this Thangka.