Antique Tibetan Buddhist tsakli miniature painting, considered to be an important visual aid for monks in training when conferring empowerments. This tsakli painting depicts four of the Dharmapalas and their consorts. The Dharmapalas are fierce deity protectors who will wage war without mercy against demons and enemies of Buddhism. Some of the more commonly known Dharmapalas are Mahakala, Yama, Yamantaka, and Kubera. Each fierce deity embraces their consort in a Yabyum pose, and each holds a... Click for details

Antique Tibetan Buddhist tsakli miniature painting, considered to be an important visual aid for monks in training when conferring empowerments. This tsakli painting depicts a group of dancing wrathful Dakinis. The Dakinis are female deities of meditation and the bardo, or intermediate state after death and before rebirth. There are sixteen different colored Dakinis altogether, clothed in human and animal skins, and feasting on corpses. Eight Dakinis have the heads of various animals; A... Click for details

Antique Tibetan Buddhist tsakli miniature painting, considered to be an important visual aid for monks in training when conferring empowerments. This tsakli painting depicts the fierce deity Mahakala, wearing a tiger's pelt and elephant skin, with decapitated heads strung around his waist. In his hands he holds a kapala skull cup containing the elixir of life and a kartika or ritual flaying knife. He also holds close to his body a khatvanga or ritual staff with three human heads at the upper... Click for details

Antique Tibetan repousse copper hanging ball censer, with iron chain. The depiction is a wrathful deity riding on a Qilin, a chimera with the features of a dragon mixed with a deer, flanked by four smaller deities seated on lotus thrones. One wrathful deity holds a Vajra staff and conch shell, the reverse side deity holds a mace and a Kapala or skull cup containing the elixir of life.

Dimensions: 9" x 9" x 10" (chain 39" long)

A gilt copper repousse figure of Garuda, finely worked with outstretched wings, his hands in the Karan mudra or demon-expelling mudra. He wears long necklaces hanging from his neck, with matching arm bands and wristlets. The front of the figure with gold gilt, blue, green, and orange pigments with black and white pigments for the eyes. Garudas are protectors and enemies of the Naga or serpents.

Dimensions: 7 3/4" L x 7" H

Antique Tibetan wood carved phurba, a ritualistic Vajrayana Buddhist implement. Wrapped with colored cloth around the lotus handle. Phurbas often depict Nagas or snakes on the blade. Nagas are the entities in nature that associated with illnesses. The entwining serpents are a symbol of medicine and healing. The deity handle, mirroring the three-edges of the blade has three deity faces. Typically, one might be wrathful, one peaceful and one joyful representing Body, Speech and Mind.... Click for details

Antique Tibetan flint carrying pouch (also called a mechag or chuck muck), made of leather with repousse silver plaques, inlaid with turquoise and coral front. Motifs of filigree and flora are seen through the silver plating. The leather purse is made to hold a flint piece and some burnable material. The flint is struck against the iron blade, making a spark which is caught in the material. The top is fitted with brass hardware for hanging from a leather strap.

19th century... Click for details

Antique Tibetan flint carrying pouch (also mechag or chuck muck), made of leather with plaques of repousse silver with inlaid turquoise front medallion. Motifs of filigree are seen through the silver plating with a pair of diving swallows. The backside of the pouch with heavy studs. The top of the pouch is fitted with a ring for suspending from the wearer's belt.

19th century

Dimensions: 5" L x 1 1/2" D x 3 1/2" H

Antique Tibetan thangka painting of Green Tara, one of the manifestations of the bodhisattva of protection. The central figure of Green Tara is flanked by bodhisattvas while the Amitabha Buddha is seated directly above her head. Below Tara are a fierce deity with mortal attendants carrying offerings. Thangka translates to “that which can be rolled up”, as traveling monks could easily carry them from place to place to use as a teaching tool.

18th century... Click for details

A long Buddhist religious painting, the top corners with remnants of the fixtures once used for hanging from the ceiling so both paintings are visible. One side of the cloth is painted with hanging human and animal skulls and skins intertwined. Skeletal faces of the Citipati hang amongst the human heads, their skeletal form serving as a reminder of the impermanence of life and eternal change. Below the hanging heads and skins are lingzhi clouds carrying the bodhisattvas with their heavenly... Click for details