- Provenance
- Provenance research underway.
- Label
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Lhamo, the protective deity of Lhasa, the capital of the erstwhile kingdom of Tibet, is one of a potent group of eight protectors of the Buddhist faith. She is also the patron deity of the Dalai Lama and all followers of the Gelukpa, or Yellow Hat, sect.
The sculpture captures the vivacity and ferocity of Lhamo, whose three eyes are said to flash like lightning and whose eyebrows blaze like fire. Seated astride her wild donkey mount, she brandishes her sword over the heads of enemies. Surrounding her are nineteen attendant deities riding a variety of bird and animal mounts. This gilt-copper plaque was originally part of the decoration of the base of a funerary stupa at the renowned Densatil monastery in central Tibet.
- Published References
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- Golden Visions of Densatil: A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery. Exh. cat. New York. .
- Pilgrimage and Buddhist Art. Exh. cat. New York/New Haven. cat. 14, pp. 58-59.
- Thomas Lawton, Thomas W. Lentz. Beyond the Legacy: Anniversary Acquisitions for the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. vol. 1 Washington, 1998. pp. 170-171.
- Vidya Dehejia, Thomas Coburn. Devi: The Great Goddess: Female Divinity in South Asian Art. Exh. cat. Washington, 1999. cat. 22, pp. 250-251.
- Collection Area(s)
- South Asian and Himalayan Art
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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International Image Interoperability Framework
FS-6448_09