Artwork Page for Portable Shrine

Details / Information for Portable Shrine

Portable Shrine

c. 1500

Tibet

Medium
wood with mineral pigments and metal
Measurements
Diameter: 16.2 cm (6 3/8 in.); Overall: 25.4 cm (10 in.)
Credit Line
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1968.214
Public Domain
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Location
237 Himalayan
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Did You Know?

Tantric practice can be performed alone in any location; this shrine could be used by a traveling practitioner for meditation, visualization, prayer, and recitation of mantras.

Description

Carved from a solid section of a log, the shrine contains images of protectors of tantric Buddhism—a branch that developed in northern India and became prominent in the Himalayas by the 700s. The central figure in the top row is Padmasambhava (Indian, active in Tibet in the 740s), venerated as the founder of one of the four main Tibetan monastic orders. Incised on the exterior are images of protectors, mantras written in Tibetan script, and a sacred funerary monument called a stupa. Tantric practice emphasizes recitation of mantras that invoke the powers of compassion, wisdom, and protection.
A portable, carved wood triptych shrine features three hinged panels detailed with mineral pigments. The central section displays nine seated figures within three tiers of rocky recesses, while side panels each hold six additional figures. Traces of gold and red highlight the deities against the weathered wood. The structure rests on ornate, stepped bases. Worn surfaces reveal a dark brown underlayer, contrasting with pigments still visible in the mountainous, carved crevices.

Portable Shrine

c. 1500

Tibet

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