Pehar Gyalpo / Artist Unknown, Tibet or Nepal

Viewer

Actions

file_download Download image 121 x 162 (JPEG) 242 x 324 (JPEG) 484 x 649 (JPEG) 969 x 1299 (JPEG)

About this Item

Record Details

Accession Number
1980/2.211
Title
Pehar Gyalpo
Artist Nationality
Tibetan or Nepalese
Object Creation Date
19th century?
Style/Group/Movement
Buddhist thangka
Dimensions
45.3 cm x 34.9 cm (17 13/16 in. x 13 3/4 in.)
Century
19th century
Physical Description
A portable painting in mineral pigments and gold on a primed cotton ground; the painting is designed to be rolled up when not in use. The painting was folded at some time in its history, resulting in a loss of pigment along two vertical lines.
Subject Matter
At the center of this complex composition is a large, white-skinned figure with six arms, each bearing a weapon, and three heads (one white, one blue, and one red, each with three eyes), wearing a helmet: this is Pehar Gyalpo, originally a non-Buddhist spirit invited to Tibet in the eighth century by Guru Padmasambhava to serve as protector of Tibet's first Buddhist monastery, Samye. Pehar is shown astride a snow lion (a white lion with a green mane; the symbol of the Tibetan state). At his fee are three similar wrathful protector deites, mounted (from right to left) on a lion, a horse, and an elephant; two more, both mounted on horses, are in the upper corners. Each of the mounted figures is enveloped in flames, of varying colors. At the very top center of the painting is a portrait of a monk, possibly a representation of Padmasambhava. The entire scene is set in a blue-and-green mountainous landscape.
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Technical Details

Image Size
969 x 1299
File Size
128 KB
Record
1980/2.211
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1980-sl-2.211/1980_2.211.jpg

Rights and Permissions

Portfolios

In public portfolios
Manifest
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1980-SL-2.211:1980_2.211.JPG

Cite this Item

View the Help Guide for more information.

Full citation
"Pehar Gyalpo; Artist Unknown, Tibet or Nepal." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1980-sl-2.211/1980_2.211.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024.
Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.