明 佚名 釋教三尊曼陀羅圖 軸|Mandala of Vajradhara, Manjushri and Sadakshari -Lokeshvara

Created in 1479, this religious artwork is executed as a tangka on a cotton cloth support. The artist employed ink and opaque watercolors as the primary pigments, enhancing the composition with applications of gold. The piece measures approximately 147.3 cm in height and 95.3 cm in width.

Stylistically, the work functions as a mandala depicting three central Buddhist figures: Vajradhara, the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, and Sadakshari-Lokeshvara. The combination of mineral-based opaque colors and gold on woven cotton is characteristic of Tibetan-style Buddhist painting produced in China during the Ming dynasty, designed for devotional use within a religious context.

The mandala is dated 1479 and was produced in China as a tangka executed in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on cotton cloth, measuring approximately 147.3 × 95.3 cm. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, among the museum's Asian art holdings. No earlier ownership or commission details are provided, no specific accession number is disclosed, and no exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.

This painting, titled Mandala of Vajradhara, Manjushri and Sadakshari-Lokeshvara, is a Buddhist thangka created in 1479. It depicts a central Buddhist scene featuring three principal deities, arranged within a sacred geometric diagram. The work exemplifies the devotional art practices prevalent during its period, serving as a visual aid for meditation and spiritual contemplation.

Created in 1479, this thangka reflects a period when artistic traditions in the region often integrated diverse cultural influences. The painting exhibits a notable synthesis of Chinese aesthetic elements with established Buddhist iconographic conventions. This blend of styles was a common characteristic of religious art produced during the late Ming dynasty, illustrating the cross-cultural exchanges that shaped visual expression.