TIBET, CIRCA XIIIEME SIECLE

The presented Amoghasiddhi and the next lot depicting Ratnasambhava belonged once to a series of the five Cosmic Buddhas or Tathagatas. They compromise one of the most important group of Esoteric Buddhist deities and each is associated with a specific colour, direction, gesture, and vehicle. Thus Amoghasiddhi is green, placed in the north, displays the 'do-not-fear' gesture and has the Garuda bird as vehicle. Furthermore each presides a family of deities including bodhisattvas, a human Buddha and a goddess. The sumptuously bejewelled and majestic seated Amoghasiddhi is here clad in a diaphanous dhoti finely painted with his emblem the vishavajra and some minute divinities. Very interesting is the female bodhisattva, Tara, flanking the principle figure to one side and recognisable to her short jacket and face. Various figures are surrounding Amoghasiddhi including a white clad lama. The rest of the painting is covered with a myriad of small figures of Buddha's, protective deities and a Lokapala clad in a Central Asian attire. The many small Buddha figures might represent the concept of the thousand Buddhas of the bhadrakalpa or Auspicious Aeon.
Both paintings seem to be among the largest known from this period and the complete set must have given a dazzling sight in the chapel when illuminated by flickering butter-lamps.