On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Mahasiddha Virupa
Mahasiddhas were advanced tantric practitioners from all walks of society. In a famous tale, Virupa, one of eighty-four mahasiddhas, insatiably consumes alcohol at a tavern. Rather than settle his tab by the stipulated time, he deploys tantric powers to halt the sun in its path, continuing to imbibe until the local ruler pays his bill. Here, Virupa’s left hand touches the gold-ringed disk of the sun, while drinking vessels are displayed to his left. This thangka is remarkable for its eighty-two vignettes depicting additional mahasiddhas, who are referenced in an inscription on the verso recording the painting’s consecration by the important abbot and scholar Sakya Pandita (1182–1251).
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
