Tibet, late 17th century AD
Distemper on cotton

The king’s throne is comprised of a bed of leaves, a protruding rock formation and tree branches. In his left hand, he holds the stem of a lotus that supports the ghanta (hand-bell). In his right, he holds the vajra (diamond scepter). Golden light radiates straight upward from a vase held by his attendant. Laying in the foreground a pair of deer symbolizes both the first teaching of the Buddha and a pure realm where fear is unknown.

Denman Waldo Ross Collection, 1906   06.342