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The fifteenth century marks a period of transition in Tibetan painting. While works from this time adhere to organizational principles inherited from India and Nepal, the usual strict, grid-like compartmentalization of the figures has transformed into rows of circular celllike enclosures made of scrolling vines. Paintings of this period also feature more distinctive Tibetan architecture and often emphasize an auspicious backdrop of blossoms, features that are both evident in this work. Stylistically this painting relates to the famous murals of the Kumbum, in Gyantse, southern-central Tibet.
Goddess Ushnishavijaya in Stupa
OriginTsang Province, Central Tibet
Date15th century
Dimensions37 3/8 × 3/4 × 24 1/2 in.
MediumPigments on cloth
Classification(s)
Credit LineRubin Museum of Art, Gift of the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation
Object numberF1998.17.1
Himalayan Art Resources Number663
DescriptionHere the eight-armed goddess of long life Ushnishavijaya sits framed by an ornate stupa. An inscription on the back follows the shape of the stupa. A tiny representation of Buddha Vairochana, the goddess’s primary buddha sits just above the dome of the stupa.The fifteenth century marks a period of transition in Tibetan painting. While works from this time adhere to organizational principles inherited from India and Nepal, the usual strict, grid-like compartmentalization of the figures has transformed into rows of circular celllike enclosures made of scrolling vines. Paintings of this period also feature more distinctive Tibetan architecture and often emphasize an auspicious backdrop of blossoms, features that are both evident in this work. Stylistically this painting relates to the famous murals of the Kumbum, in Gyantse, southern-central Tibet.
Not on view
ca. second quarter of 15th century
14th century
19th century
19th century
13th-14th century
ca.1500
12th-13th century
13th century
1580s-1590s