Karmapa Mikyo Dorje
18th century
Asia: China, Tibet
On View

An inscription on the back of this painting identifies the central figure as Mikyo Dorje (1507–1554), eighth pontiff of the Karmapa suborder of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The inscription also suggests that this painting belonged to a series, although the patron remains unknown. The upper and lower corners of the textile depict Mikyo Dorje’s hands and feet, a practice that is exclusive to Tibetan art. As with most Tibetan textiles, this scroll also functioned as a meditation aid for practitioners while offering a portal into the hierarchy of the Tibetan Buddhist heavens.

Seated on a multicolored lotus throne, the pontiff is surrounded by myriad auspicious symbols. At the top of the painting are three figures: Padmasambhava (the eighth-century Indian Buddhist mystic who is credited for transmitting Tantric Buddhism to Tibet), the Buddha Amitayus (also known as Buddha Amitabha) and Mikyo Dorje. Above the pontiff’s green halo are eight seated figures, likely to be emanations of himself, symbolizing his influence in all directions. Eight female dancing figures, called dakini, represent enlightened energy. Below the lotus throne are clusters of offerings, including gems, ivory tusks, mirrors, shells and flowers. These are intended for the pontiff, to seek his blessing. In between the pontiff’s footprints is a horse-mounted guardian figure in yab-yum, or sexual union, with a female consort. Collectively, these symbols emphasize Mikyo Dorje’s enlightened knowledge.

Details

  • Title: Karmapa Mikyo Dorje
  • Date: 18th century
  • Medium: Pigment and gold on cotton with silk border
  • Dimensions: comp: 33-1/4 x 23-1/2 in. (84.5 x 59.7 cm); mount: 52 x 36 in. (132.1 x 91.4 cm)
  • Credit Line: Norton Simon Museum, Gift of Arnold H. Lieberman
  • Accession Number: P.2000.06.4
  • Copyright: © Norton Simon Museum

Object Information

Eternal Presence: Handprints and Footprints in Buddhist Art

  • Katonah, Katonah Museum of Art, 2004-10-17 to 2005-01-09
  • Honolulu, Honolulu Academy of Arts, 2005-01-26 to 2005-05-29
  • New York, Rubin Museum of Art, 2005-06-14 to 2005-09-04

The Art of Giving: Recent Acquisitions of the Norton Simon Museum

  • Norton Simon Museum, 2002-08-02 to 2002-11-04
  • Kathryn Selig Brown, Orientations, figs. 1, 1a pp. 87-89
  • Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 2: Art from the Himalayas & China, 2003, no. 128 pp. 19-20, 186-187, 262
  • Brown, Kathryn H. Selig, Eternal Presence: Handprints and Footprints in Buddhist Art, 2004, plate 11 pp. 4, 44-45, 78

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