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Lot Essay
This early sixteenth-century Tibetan thangka drawing depicts Mahakala Bernagchen, the "Black Cloak" Mahakala, the primary protector of the Karma Kagyu tradition. The work is uniquely significant as it was inscribed by Mikyo Dorje, the Eighth Karmapa (1507 to 1554). The inscriptions clearly establish Mikyo Dorje's intimate involvement with either the painting's creation or its sacred consecration. The golden inscription on the piece specifically references the consecrated barley of the Eighth Karmapa and a trace of his hand, indicating either his calligraphy or a direct handprint. While the text leaves room for interpretation, Robert Beer suggests that Mikyo Dorje at least laid out the initial composition or outlines, which may have been finalized by his students (H. Havnevik and C. Ramble, eds. “Notes on an Unidentified Thangka of the Black-Cloak Mahākāla,” From Bhakti to Bon: Festschrift for Per Kværne 2015, pp. 113-31).
Visually, the drawing captures the distinctive, wrathful physiology characteristic of Bernagchen, who belongs to the class of deities associated with Bhagavat Mahakala. The deity’s "cloud-faced" expression is vividly rendered, showing highly pronounced lines across his cheeks, chin, and hairline. He possesses a crown of five dry skulls topped with vajras, with small flames, or "friction sparks" licking through his symmetrical, upward-streaming matted hair. His gaping maw reveals eight sharp, triangular teeth set between curved canine fangs, aligning precisely with early textual descriptions. In his right hand, he wields a "moon-like crescent" hooked knife with a vajra handle. His left hand holds a vast skull-cup close to his heart (ibid, 2015, pp. 113-31). The execution reveals a confident, fluid hand, evidenced by the stylized, angular flames dancing on the golden aura circle and the loosely sketched waves in the foreground.
The inscriptions on the canvas ground its protective purpose in historical relationships. A black prayer line requests that Sri Mahakala remove all obstacles for an individual named Tulku Namdrol until he attains full awakening. Scholars suggest Tulku Namdrol may have been a close companion or attendant of the Eighth Karmapa from a region in Yunnan, and this thangka may have been blessed on the occasion of his passing.
Visually, the drawing captures the distinctive, wrathful physiology characteristic of Bernagchen, who belongs to the class of deities associated with Bhagavat Mahakala. The deity’s "cloud-faced" expression is vividly rendered, showing highly pronounced lines across his cheeks, chin, and hairline. He possesses a crown of five dry skulls topped with vajras, with small flames, or "friction sparks" licking through his symmetrical, upward-streaming matted hair. His gaping maw reveals eight sharp, triangular teeth set between curved canine fangs, aligning precisely with early textual descriptions. In his right hand, he wields a "moon-like crescent" hooked knife with a vajra handle. His left hand holds a vast skull-cup close to his heart (ibid, 2015, pp. 113-31). The execution reveals a confident, fluid hand, evidenced by the stylized, angular flames dancing on the golden aura circle and the loosely sketched waves in the foreground.
The inscriptions on the canvas ground its protective purpose in historical relationships. A black prayer line requests that Sri Mahakala remove all obstacles for an individual named Tulku Namdrol until he attains full awakening. Scholars suggest Tulku Namdrol may have been a close companion or attendant of the Eighth Karmapa from a region in Yunnan, and this thangka may have been blessed on the occasion of his passing.