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A hand-painted black-ground thangka (nagtang) of a wrathful Buddhist protector, most likely Vajrapani, framed under glass in a slim black frame.
The deity sits in a relaxed royal posture on a dark cushion over a red, blue and white lotus throne, one leg drawn up and one extended. His body is black-blue, his hair streams upward in silver-grey flames, and he wears a five-skull crown, a serpent draped over his shoulders and coiled at his chest, bone and gold jewelry at neck, wrists and ankles, and a tiger-skin loincloth drawn in fine orange and white stripes. The right hand is raised in the threatening gesture, index finger pointing skyward; the left rests open on the knee. Three bulging eyes, bared fangs and a curling moustache complete the wrathful face. Around him a halo of red and black flames scrolls in hundreds of individual curls, with grey clouds at the corners and a landscape of blue-and-red rocks, green hills and rolling water below.
Black thangkas are the rarest of the three thangka grounds (gold, red, black) and are reserved for wrathful deities; the dark field is meant to hold the protector's energy in check. The line work here is entirely by hand and very fine, especially in the flames, the tiger stripes and the wave patterns at the base. Colors are mineral-style pigment on prepared cotton with gold-toned detailing.
Measurements: 12 x 15 inches (30 x 38 cm) framed; painting approximately 10.5 x 13.5 inches. Black wood-composite frame with glass and hanging hardware, ready to hang.
Condition: excellent. Pigment is fully intact with no flaking, fading or staining; the painting is clean and the black ground is even. Frame and glass are clean with no chips. Two small reflections in the photos are the glass, not marks on the painting.
Ships in a rigid box with corner protectors and glass-safe wrapping, insured, within one business day. Worldwide shipping with tracking.
Item specifics: Region of Origin: Nepal · Material: Cotton, pigments, gold-toned detail · Subject: Vajrapani, wrathful protector · Style: Black thangka (nagtang) · Handmade: Yes · Original/Reproduction: Original · Framed: Yes · Size: 12 x 15 in
Photos: front straight on with no glare (shoot at an angle to a window, or take it out of the frame for the photo and put it back); the face; the raised hand; the snake and jewelry; the tiger stripes; the flames close up; the lotus and water at the base; the frame corner and back with hanging hardware.
