Tibetan Thangka - Vaishravana

Introducing Treasures of Tibet collection by Serge Averbukh, showcasing meticulous digital paintings of various Tibetan artifacts and works of art.... more

by Serge Averbukh

Title

Tibetan Thangka - Vaishravana

Artist

Serge Averbukh

Medium

Photograph - Digital Painting

Description

Introducing "Treasures of Tibet" collection by Serge Averbukh, showcasing meticulous digital paintings of various Tibetan artifacts and works of art. Here you will find framed and wrapped/stretched canvas fine art prints, featuring Tibetan Thangka depicting Vaishravana - God of Wealth and Regent of the North.
A thangka, variously spelt as tangka, thanka or tanka is a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton, or silk applique, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala. Thangkas are traditionally kept unframed and rolled up when not on display, mounted on a textile backing somewhat in the style of Chinese scroll paintings, with a further silk cover on the front. So treated, thangkas can last a long time, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture will not affect the quality of the silk. Most thankas are relatively small, comparable in size to a Western half-length portrait, but some are extremely large, several metres in each dimension; these were designed to be displayed, typically for very brief periods on a monastery wall, as part of religious festivals. Most thankas were intended for personal meditation or instruction of monastic students. They often have elaborate compositions including many very small figures. A central "deity" is often surrounded by other identified figures in a symmetrical composition. Narrative scenes are less common, but do appear.

Vaiśravaṇa (Sanskrit) or Vessavaṇa (Pali; Sinhalese), is the name of one of the Four Heavenly Kings. He is considered the "chief" of the Four Kings and an important figure on his own in Buddhism in Japan. His mantra is Oṃ Vaiśravaṇa Ye Soha. The character of Vaiśravaṇa is founded upon the Hindu deity Kubera.
Vaiśravaṇa is the guardian of the northern direction, and his home is in the northern quadrant of the topmost tier of the lower half of Sumeru. He is the leader of all the yakṣas who dwell on the Sumeru's slopes.
He is often portrayed with a yellow face. He carries an umbrella or parasol (chatra) as a symbol of his sovereignty. He is also sometimes displayed with a mongoose, often shown ejecting jewels from its mouth. The mongoose is the enemy of the snake, a symbol of greed or hatred; the ejection of jewels represents generosity.
In Japan, Bishamonten (毘沙門天), or just Bishamon (毘沙門) is thought of as an armor-clad god of war or warriors and a punisher of. Bishamon is portrayed holding a spear in one hand and a small pagoda in the other hand, the latter symbolizing the divine treasure house, whose contents he both guards and gives away. In Japanese folklore, he is one of the Seven Lucky Gods.
In Tibet, Vaiśravaṇa is considered a lokapāla or dharmapāla in the retinue of Ratnasambhava. He is also known as the King of the North. As guardian of the north, he is often depicted on temple murals outside the main door. He is also thought of as a god of wealth. As such, Vaiśravaṇa is sometimes portrayed carrying a citron, the fruit of the jambhara tree, a pun on another name of his, Jambhala. The fruit helps distinguish him iconically from depictions of Kuvera. He is sometimes represented as corpulent and covered with jewels. When shown seated, his right foot is generally pendant and supported by a lotus-flower on which is a conch shell. His mount is a snow lion. Tibetan Buddhists consider Jambhala's sentiment regarding wealth to be providing freedom by way of bestowing prosperity, so that one may focus on the path or spirituality rather than on the materiality and temporality of that wealth.

Uploaded

July 20th, 2015