Untitled

Unknown

early 15th century · Opaque watercolor on paper · Asian Art

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.

Artist

Unknown

Date

early 15th century

Medium

Opaque watercolor on paper

Culture

Tibet

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 2000