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Lot Essay
The tutelary deity Vajrabhairava, also known as Yamantaka, belongs to the Yamari class of tantras and specifically arises from the Bhairava Root Tantra (Jig je tsa gyu). The practice of Bhairava is common to the Sakya, Kagyu and Gelugpa traditions, though the present painting is clearly of Gelug origin with its inclusion of Tsong Khapa amongst the lineage figures of this deity. There are numerous forms and styles of practice related to Vajrabhairava, with the main lineages related to the Indian master Atisha, and the Tibetan teachers Rwa Lotsawa and Mal Lotsawa.