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Original fileVirūḍhaka, Guardian of the South
Tibet, pitture dei thangka, su cotone, con bordi cinesi più tardi, xviii secolo, uno dei quattro lokapala 02
About This Work
The painting features Virūḍhaka, one of the Four Heavenly Kings (Lokapala), depicted with a fierce expression, a dark blue face, and a flaming nimbus behind him. He wears elaborate orange and red armor with green and white accents, rendered in a traditional Tibetan style, and stands amidst swirling pink and cream clouds. A smaller, blue-skinned attendant figure is visible near his feet, and the entire work is framed by later Chinese brocade borders featuring floral motifs.
Virūḍhaka is the guardian of the southern quarter of the world in Buddhist cosmology, frequently depicted in sets of the Four Heavenly Kings who protect the four cardinal directions and the dharma.