Ratnasambhava, the Buddha of the Southern Pure Land
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Ratnasambhava means “born of jewels”—not surprisingly, one of his prominent emanations is Jambala, a god of prosperity and wealth. As in the thangka of the Amoghasiddhi at right, the top of this thangka is filled with rows of bodhisattvas who display a variety of attributes and mudras and listen to the words of the central Buddha. Later, this position is occupied by teachers and patriarchs associated with the various Buddhist schools active in Tibet. In both thangkas, the five fierce deities at the base ward off evil forces and protect the sacred space of the thangka. The presence of these protective deities is a feature shared with the Tibetan manuscript covers and perhaps helps explain the distribution of the illuminations found in the early palm-leaf manuscripts of north India, as all protect sacred objects.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ratnasambhava, the Buddha of the Southern Pure Land
- Date: late 11th Century
- Culture: Central Tibet
- Medium: Mineral and organic pigments on cloth
- Dimensions: Image: 30 3/4 × 22 1/2 in. (78.1 × 57.2 cm)
Framed: 38 1/2 × 30 in. (97.8 × 76.2 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Lent by a private collection
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art