Baisikou West Pagoda: Cakrasamvara

CHINA, Ningxia, Yinchuan; Western Xia period

This hanging scroll was discovered in 1986. The painted section is 55 cm high and 38 cm wide. The central figure, Cakrasamvara, has a blue body, three eyes, and a green nimbus. A tiger skin hangs around his thighs, and he wears a five-skull crown, a fifty-skull necklace, armlets, and a stole. Standing upon two subdued demons, Cakrasamvara embraces his consort Vajravarahi while holding a bell and a vajra in his crossed hands.
Vajravarahi, painted in red, also wears a crown and a necklace decorated with skulls. She holds a ritual chopper in her raised right hand. The two figures are surrounded by a red mandorla decorated with golden flame patterns, painted against a blue background filled with images of human figures, horses, rabbits, and flowers. At the top of the painting, there are five smaller images of Cakrasamvara, each one a different color. At the bottom, there are three more images of Cakrasamvara. Patriarchs are shown sitting in the corners. The patriarch on the right wears a headdress decorated with an image of Vairocana Buddha. The painting style, the layout, and the clothing of the patriarchs suggest that this painting is the work of an artist from the Kagyu school.