Unknown Artist
In this thangka (a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton or silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala), Milarepa sits in a cave on Mount Kailash, which is sacred to Buddhists and Hindus. In front of him, Lake Manasarovar (Mapam) flows by in wavy blue and green bands. His disciples flank Milarepa, and his teacher, Marpa, appears in a medal above him. The dazzling snow-covered peaks frame each of the central figures, and below them, multicolored foothills appear as prismatic spikes refracting the sun’s rays like jewels. Along the perimeter of the thangka, the five sisters of long life ride their mounts, accompanying Milarepa wherever he preaches his doctrine. The sacred peaks and lakes of the Himalayas have inspired numerous works of art—Milarepa, for example, wrote one hundred thousand songs about them. The other side of this textile contains a long inscription in Tibetan, demonstrating that this is one of the earliest representations of Milarepa.
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