Vaisravana

CHINA, Tibet

This thangka depicts Vaisravana riding on the back of a snow lion. The Heavenly King carries a victory banner in his right hand and holds the neck of the jewel-spitting mongoose with his left. A male and a female figure dressed in Chinese clothing stand beside the Heavenly King’s shoulders. They are thought to be the sponsors of the thangka. The two large figures riding on snow lions on the sides of the upper register are manifestations of Vaisramana. The robust seated figures arranged in columns down the sides of the thangka are deities of wealth. In the center of the lower register, there is an altar topped with flaming jewels. Eight naga kings are painted within a black rectangle below the altar, and eight horsemen occupy the lower left and right corners.