Transcendent Buddha Vairocana as a Chakravartin
This painting of Vairocana, the supreme wisdom Buddha, is a masterpiece of early Tibetan painting. It may be assigned to the 12th century on the basis of its clear descent from Indian Buddhist paintings of Pala-era Bihar and Bengal. It is painted in what Tibetans termed the North Indian style, in which compositions are dominated by a large image of the principal deity, surrounded by an assembly of smaller attendants, executed with iconometric precision in vibrant natural mineral colors heightened with gold.
Artwork Details
- Title: Transcendent Buddha Vairocana as a Chakravartin
- Date: 12th century
- Culture: Central Tibet
- Medium: Mineral pigments and gold on cotton
- Dimensions: Image: 48 × 31 in. (121.9 × 78.7 cm)
Framed: 58 × 42 in. (147.3 × 106.7 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of Stephen and Sharon Davies, 2026
- Object Number: 2026.268
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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