TIBET, XVIIIEME SIECLE

This vividly painted black background thangka portrays in the centre one of the Five Great Kings or dKunga rgyal po. They are said to be brothers and protectors of the oracles in Tibet. Here the central figure, Chos skyong rgyal po (lord of magic), is riding an elephant and brandishing a knife. His brothers dGra lha, kLu dban, Pehar and Tha hog chos rgyal po are each placed in a corner of the painting. The top centre sees Padmasambhava who introduced the Buddhist faith in Tibet.