Distemper and gold on cloth. The central figure is not, as might be imagined at first, about to strike the head of the man kneeling below but is in fact touching him gently as a blessing, as senior abbots, monks, and worshippers watch in amazement. The blue-skinned deity with a fierce expression marked by bared teeth and sharp fangs, flaring nostrils, and three bulging eyes, dressed in a short dhoti and a flayed human skin tied around his neck.

Provenance: Acquired by the father of the present owner in Tibet around 1970 and thence by descent. Dr. David Templeman, a scholar of Tibetan Buddhism and Adjunct Research Fellow at Monash Asia Institute, Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, has previously appraised the present lot.
Condition: Fair condition with wear, soiling, creasing, abrasions, small losses, possibly few minor touchups.

Dimensions: Size 165 x 130 cm

The lower register with a dancing yogini playing the flute flanked by Naropa holding a bone trumpet and skullcup as well as Kankaripa, surrounded by devotees and followers bringing various offerings. The top register with two smaller wrathful deities.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related large thangka of Mahakala, dated to the early 18th century, 185.7 x 121 cm, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 69.72.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Zacke, Vienna, 10 December 2022, lot 188
Price: EUR 3,146 or approx. EUR 3,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A very large thangka of Heruka and consort, Tibet, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the related motif, manner of painting, and size (168 x 114 cm). Note that this lot comes from the same collection as the present lot.

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