24. The All-seeing Lord with Four Arms, Avalokiteshvara Chaturbhuja

24. The All-seeing Lord with Four Arms, Avalokiteshvara Chaturbhuja

Tibet, 14th–15th century; pigment on cloth; 22 1/4 x 18 1/2 in.; The Rubin Museum of Art, New York, C2002.8.1.

Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara

Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara

Central Tibet, Lhasa, late 19th century; mineral pigments on sized cotton, Chinese Qing brocade frame, silk dustcover and ribbons, chased silver caps; Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, S2013.29.3.

This later thangka shows a stylistic evolution in the presentation of Shadakshari Lokeshvara, but essential iconographic features remain the same: frontal figure in lotus posture, dressed in the garb of an Indian prince, with mala and lotus attributes, and frontal hands in anjali mudra. As with the earlier painting, this 19th-century work aids the practitioner in visualization and contemplation. To increase its splendor, the thangka is mounted on sumptuous pieces of Chinese silk brocade. The elaborate presentation pays homage to the bodhisattva.