Green Tara
1264
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This thangka shows Green Tara seated on a lotus, one hand raised in the fear-not gesture, her green skin glowing against a red background. The painting isn’t just religious art—it’s a spiritual tool meant to be rolled up and carried. Inscribed mantras on the back turn the cloth into a portable prayer. Tibetans see her as a protector who rushes to help at the first thought of trouble. Her lotus throne and the cosmic Buddha above tie her to enlightenment and compassion. If you like this, look up Aniko (Nepalese, active in Tibet mid- to late 1200s).
