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Photographed by David De Armas. Rubin Museum of Art. 2015.
Wrathful Shrine Doors
Photographed by David De Armas. Rubin Museum of Art. 2015.
Photographed by David De Armas. Rubin Museum of Art. 2015.

Wrathful Shrine Doors

OriginKham Region, Eastern Tibet
Dateca.19th century
Dimensions84 3/4 × 64 7/8 × 16 1/2 in.
MediumWood, cloth, pigments, gesso, varnish
Classification(s)
Credit LineRubin Museum of Art, Gift of Bob and Lois Baylis
Object numberC2014.3a-h
DescriptionThis door probably stood at the entrance to a small shrine dedicated to Mahakala, a fierce protector deity popular in many Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Protector deities often have their own shrines. The door consists of two panels framed by a lintel and jamb with decorations typical of wooden portals to protector chapels. The lintel and jamb have multicolored and layered "checkered" carvings and images of vajras and skulls. The decoration on the panels depicts faces of Mahakala and offerings like barley cakes (torma). Such images served as offerings to the deity and indicated a restricted access to the chapel.