A Mongolian painting of Yamantaka

Depicting the wrathful deity Dharmapala Yamantaka taking the form of Vajrabhairavam, the blue-coloured nine headed demon with thirty-four arms and sixteen legs. He stands trampling animals, a human and Hindu deities, which can be interpreted as his victory over everything that is ignorant. He is in yabyum together with Shakti, his consort.

Provenance: Jan Brummelhuis collection, Amsterdam.

Catalogue notes: Dharmapala Yamantaka is one of the defenders of the Buddhist faith. The literal translation of his name is 'the exterminator of the lord of death Yama'.