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Reading the History of a Tibetan Mahakala Painting: The Nyingma Chod Mandala of Legs Ldan Nagpo Aghora in the Royal Ontario Museum

Richardson, Sarah Aoife
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1396453697

Abstract Details

2006, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Art.
This thesis presents a detailed study of a large Tibetan painting in the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) that was collected in 1921 by an Irish fur trader named George Crofts. The painting represents a mandala, a Buddhist meditational diagram, centered on a fierce protector, or dharmapala, known as Mahakala or “Great Black Time” in Sanskrit. The more specific Tibetan form depicted, called Legs Idan Nagpo Aghora, or the “Excellent Black One who is Not Terrible,” is ironically named since the deity is himself very wrathful, as indicated by his bared fangs, bulging red eyes, and flaming hair. His surrounding mandala includes over 100 subsidiary figures, many of whom are indeed as terrifying in appearance as the central figure. There are three primary parts to this study. First, I discuss how the painting came to be in the museum, including the roles played by George Crofts, the collector and Charles Trick Currelly, the museum’s director, and the historical, political, and economic factors that brought about the ROM Himalayan collection. Through this historical focus, it can be seen that the painting is in fact part of a fascinating museological story, revealing details of the formation of the museum’s Asian collections during the tumultuous early Republican era in China. The second section explores the stylistic features of the painting to ascertain the date and provenance of its production. By examining both the earliest and latest features of the painting, and their ultimate foreign sources, the painting is situated within the continuum of stylistic development in Tibetan art. This section also reveals how art itself, and this example specifically, stands at the intersection of political, social, and religious relationships, often revealing the complexities of these exchanges. The third section analyzes the complex Tibetan Buddhist iconography represented in the painting. To ascertain the identity of the figures, I rely on textual sources, but I also emphasize the meaning and religious functionality of the painted vision. The discussion specifically shows how the painting visually represents key teachings of the Tibetan Chod (“Cutting”) practices, aimed at severing all egoistic attachments. Indeed, the painting is an evocative and creative vision that helps practitioners in their meditations. By engaging multiple levels of art historical analysis I demonstrate how several avenues of inquiry reveal valuable information about a particular work of art. By examining the painting both historically and comparatively, and exploring information that is both internal and external to the painting itself, I show how multiple moments of history are embedded in works of art. This history extends far beyond the moment of the painting’s production, and continues through the five centuries since production: its movements and adventures.
John C. Huntington (Advisor)
Susan Huntington (Committee Member)
141 p.
Art History

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Richardson, S. A. (2006). Reading the History of a Tibetan Mahakala Painting: The Nyingma Chod Mandala of Legs Ldan Nagpo Aghora in the Royal Ontario Museum [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1396453697

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Richardson, Sarah. Reading the History of a Tibetan Mahakala Painting: The Nyingma Chod Mandala of Legs Ldan Nagpo Aghora in the Royal Ontario Museum. 2006. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1396453697.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Richardson, Sarah. "Reading the History of a Tibetan Mahakala Painting: The Nyingma Chod Mandala of Legs Ldan Nagpo Aghora in the Royal Ontario Museum." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1396453697

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2006, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.