A THANGKA WITH TAGLA MEMBAR

Tibet, 19th century

Painted in bright colors on a thick canvas, the thangka depicting in the center a mighty, angry, three-eyed, red-skinned deity, in both hands a staff with a Wheel of Law finial, wearing only a tiger skin kilt, on his head a tiara with five skulls, all around a myriad of divinities, characters and animals, inscriptions near some of the figures, on the back an inscription in red ink.

81,5 x 66,7 cm

Provenance: Italian private collection.

Tagla Membar is an important deity of Bön, the indigenous folk religion of Tibet and other neighboring areas. She is considered as a weapon of doctrine, since the followers of Bön invoked her against Buddhism. However, her appearance is reminiscent of some of the deities of that doctrine and some of her attributes are also clearly inspired by Buddhism. A cave sanctuary near Mount Kailash is explicitly dedicated to this deity.

Tibet, 19th century

Painted in bright colors on a thick canvas, the thangka depicting in the center a mighty, angry, three-eyed, red-skinned deity, in both hands a staff with a Wheel of Law finial, wearing only a tiger skin kilt, on his head a tiara with five skulls, all around a myriad of divinities, characters and animals, inscriptions near some of the figures, on the back an inscription in red ink.

81,5 x 66,7 cm

Provenance: Italian private collection.

Tagla Membar is an important deity of Bön, the indigenous folk religion of Tibet and other neighboring areas. She is considered as a weapon of doctrine, since the followers of Bön invoked her against Buddhism. However, her appearance is reminiscent of some of the deities of that doctrine and some of her attributes are also clearly inspired by Buddhism. A cave sanctuary near Mount Kailash is explicitly dedicated to this deity.