266 - Nine-Deity Amitāyus Mandala, Tibet, Gelug tradition, 18th–19th century

Nine-Deity Amitāyus Mandala, Tibet, Gelug tradition, 18th–19th century Polychrome pigments on canvas, depicting the mandala of Amitāyus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, arranged around a square celestial palace with four gates. In the center, Amitāyus is depicted seated in the vajraparyanka posture, with both hands joined in the meditation mudra and holding the vase containing the ambrosia of long life. He is surrounded by eight identical forms of Amitāyus arranged in the eight directions, constituting the nine-deity mandala (tse pag me lha gu kyil khor). The palace is enclosed within several concentric circles richly adorned with plant scrollwork, stylized clouds, vases, banners, and polychrome architectural elements. In the upper register, the mandala is surmounted by Tsongkhapa, recognizable by his yellow paṇḍita cap, flanked by two lamas also wearing yellow caps—most likely his two principal disciples, Gyaltsab Dharma Rinchen and Khedrub Geleg Pal Zangpo— indicating that the Amitāyus cycle was adopted within the Gelug tradition. On either side are depicted tantric and protective deities, while the lower register brings together several deities from the pantheon of protection and long life, including a figure that can be identified as Green Tārā. The composition thus combines the ancient scheme of the nine-deity Amitāyus mandala with a peripheral program characteristic of Tibetan paintings in the Gelug tradition. The architectural treatment, the palette of red, blue, green, and yellow, and the plant scrollwork reflect an aesthetic strongly influenced by Nepalese-Tibetan models. A comparison with several Amitāyus mandalas preserved or documented by Himalayan Art Resources allows us to link the composition to Tibetan models from the 16th–18th centuries, while suggesting that this particular work was created later, likely in the 18th–19th centuries. Painting dimensions: 60.5 x 39 cm; overall dimensions: 124 x 64 cm Signs of wear, scuffing, abrasions, and pigment loss, particularly visible in the peripheral areas; lifting and deterioration of the paint layer; tear. Mounted in a Plexiglas frame.