SILK PAINTED THANGKA OF HAYAGRIVA, Tibet - Nepal, 18th / 19th century

The painting, which retains its red silk damask frame, depicts Hayagriva the deity manifestation of the Buddha Amitabha's irate activity. 

It has a red body with three faces, six hands and eight legs. The right face is green, the middle one red, and the left one white, each with three eyes and a gaping mouth to show the jaws. The lower two hands hold a sword and a gut lasso, the middle two a trident and a spear; the first two hold a golden vajra in the right, while the left is in apana mudra. His head is adorned with a crown of five white skulls, a long garland of severed heads encircles his neck, he wears an elephant skin while an additional tiger skin covers the lower part of his body. 

In alidha asana, the posture of the warrior, with his eight legs he tramples the eight large nagas in the guise of snakes, all on a discus wrapped in lotus flower petals.

On the upper right is the Buddha Amitabha, while on the left is Padmasambhava.

Provenance: Private collection, Italy

Catalogue notes: The ject depicted here is a dharmapala (Protector of the Buddhist Doctrine) and at the same time a yi-dam, i.e. a tutelary deity with whom to aim for identification in Tantric practice. The fierce expression and attributes place him among the terrifying deities, while the golden ornaments recall his benevolent nature as a bodhisattva. 

Compare with the thangka sold at Sotheby's, Arts d'Asie; 11 December 2020, Paris, lot. 58.