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Initiation Card (Tsakalis)

early 15th century
Not on view
These tsakali cards, when arranged on the ground as a mandala, create a fixed sacred space like a temple. They show the celestial Buddhas, bodhisattvas, protectors, and, at bottom, the six possible realms of rebirth. Monastic teachers used tsakali cards to align (initiate) a disciple with one of many Vajrayana Buddhist deities. The disciple sought permission from the deity (via dream or supervised by a teacher) and visualized the deity as described in recited mantras and represented on the card. A Nepali artist probably made this set for a Tibetan patron of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Initiation Card (Tsakalis)
  • Date: early 15th century
  • Culture: Tibet
  • Medium: Opaque watercolor on paper
  • Dimensions: Each 6 1/4 x 5 3/4 in. (16 x 14.5 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 2000
  • Object Number: 2000.282.21
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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Initiation Card (Tsakalis) - Tibet - The Metropolitan Museum of Art