Description

Antique Tibetan Buddhist double mandala thangka, with the two central deities being Brahma and his wife Saraswati.

Brahma is a leading god and heavenly king in Buddhism. Lord Brahma rules over the heavenly realm of rebirth called the Brahmaloka– the most sought after realm for afterlife and reincarnation within the Buddhist belief system. He is depicted as having 4 faces and is seated in the center of the top mandala in a lotus position with his arms folded in front, thumbs touching and palms upwards in a Dhyani Mudra, a gesture of meditation and serenity.

Below him, the bottom mandala has the image of the wife of Brahma, Saraswati. She sits in lotus position with her hands held in the Dharmachakra Mudra, representing Teaching of the Wheel of Dharma.
The two mandalas are surrounded by many figures and deities, including the Lord of Wealth Kubera on his tiger seated near the bottom of the painting. The reverse of the painting shows age with remnant of an old wax seal.

Provenance Private Los Angeles Collection

Dates from the 17th century
Dimensions: 20 1/2″ w x 41″ h