Unknown
Mahakala and his Entouragecirca 1450-1500

Not on view

Tibetan thangka painting on fabric, multi-armed wrathful blue deity at center surrounded by smaller figures, flame aureole, and registers of seated buddhas along the top, in deep red, blue, and gold pigments

Tibetan thangka painting on a vivid red ground, depicting a large multi-armed wrathful deity with dark blue skin, fierce expression, and a crown, holding ritual implements including a trident; surrounded by flames and encircled by rows of smaller seated buddhas along the top border and numerous attendant figures, protectors, and narrative scenes along the sides and bottom, rendered in mineral pigments with gold detail.

Tibetan thangka painting on cloth, deep red ground with blue border, depicting multiple Buddhist deity figures arranged in registers; seated figures with red halos along the top, smaller devotional figures in the middle ground, and large blue wrathful deity figures in dynamic poses at lower right, with scrolling floral patterns throughout.

Tibetan thangka painting on cloth with aged, muted pigments; deep red ground populated with multiple deity figures. A large wrathful blue figure with fierce expression dominates the lower left, holding a trident. Smaller seated and standing figures with halos in green, gold, and red are scattered throughout, with a row of Buddha figures along the upper border.

Tibetan thangka fragment, densely composed on a deep red ground with blue and green areas. Multiple deity figures with halos, including a blue multi-armed figure at center, surrounded by smaller dark figures, horses, flames, and swirling cloud forms rendered in fine mineral pigments with gold detailing.

Thangka fragment, mineral pigments on cloth with gold details, densely composed scene in deep red and blue tones featuring multiple wrathful and peaceful deities, animal figures, and swirling cloud forms across several registers, with fine gold highlighting throughout

Detail of a thangka, deep red ground with gold scrolling cloud patterns, a dark blue-gray trapezoidal form at center bearing Tibetan script inscription, partial figure visible at right edge.

Detail of a Tibetan thangka painting showing dense gold scrolling floral and cloud patterns on a deep red ground, with a dark blue triangular form at center and a small line of Tibetan script, aged and darkened surface visible.

Detail of a painted panel, likely devotional, showing a standing robed figure in dark blue-gray garments against a deep red ground, with gilt cloud or flame motifs at lower left; pigment is heavily crackled and abraded throughout.

Detail of a Tibetan thangka painting showing a triangular blue-gray form against a deep red ground with gold scrolling floral patterns; partial figure with golden ornament visible at upper left.

Artist or Maker: Unknown
Title: Mahakala and his Entourage
Place Made: Central Tibet, Gyantse (?)
Date Made: circa 1450-1500
Period: 15th-16th century
Medium: Mineral pigments, gold, and ink on cotton cloth
Dimensions: 39 1/2 x 34 1/16 in. (100.3 x 86.3 cm)
Credit Line: From the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, purchased with funds provided by the Jane and Justin Dart Foundation
Accession Number: M.81.90.4
Classification: Paintings
Collecting Area: South and Southeast Asian Art
Curatorial Notes: Tibetan liturgical texts claim that there are as many as seventy-five forms of Mahakala (the Great Black One) and describe him as being the deep black color of the storm clouds that will darken the sky at the end of time. A six-armed form of Mahakala is represented here standing atop the prostrate figure of the elephant-headed god Ganesha. His principal arms hold his attributes: the chopper and the skull-cup. The top row depicts Indian mahasiddhas (perfected beings) and eminent monks of the Sakyapa lineage. The ten guardians of the directions, the eight-cardinal points, plus the zenith and nadir, are lined up vertically on either side of Mahakala’s flaming aura. At Ganesha’s feet rides Palden Lhamo on her fierce mule, while at his head is Takkiraja. In the lower left corner Jinamitra dances, and Traksad rides a black horse in the lower right. The Yaksha Kshetrapala rides a black bear directly below Mahakala. To the left is the monk who commissioned this painting, shown in the act of propitiating Ganesha. Kubera, the god of wealth, is to the right of the bear.

Although this thangka was collected in the western Tibetan kingdom of Guge, the style of painting is so closely connected with that of the murals in the Kumban stupa at Gyantse, that it must have been made either at Gyantse or another location in the Tsang region of central Tibet.
Selected Bibliography: Little, Stephen, and Tushara Bindu Gude. Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art across Asia. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2025.

Monday	11 am–6 pm
Tuesday	11 am–6 pm
Wednesday	Closed
Thursday	11 am–6 pm
Friday	11 am–8 pm
Saturday	10 am–7 pm
Sunday	10 am–7 pm