Heruka - Thangka - distemper on canvas, the tantric 9-headed,18-armed,8-legged and winged wrathfull deity Mahottara Heruka (also Chemchok Heruka) with his wisdom partner Krodeshvari are depicted in the centre, standing on the death bodies of two defeated Rudra-demons,holding a vajra chopper over a scull cup in his front hands, in the other hands other weapons and trophies, richly bejewelled,surrounded by a flaming aureole, with an entourage of other wrathfull and protector heruka-deities with their prajnas, at the mid bottom a Nyingma lama, Mahottama Heruka und Krodeshvari are as a peaceful/wrathful manifestation of enlightment and a form of the Adibuddha Samatabhadra(the blue Samatabhadra shown above in nondual union with his white consort Samantabhadri) the most important meditation deities of the Nyingma -Sect(especially in the Guhyagarbha-,Dzogchen-Tantras), the painting aims to prepare the devotee for the after-death experience in the 'Bardo', the intermediary stage (more precisely a state of mind) between death and rebirth which is 'populated' by winged heruka-deities as described in the 'Bardo Thodol' ('Tibetan Book of the Dead'), Tibet 19th/20th century, signs of age and use, some tears to the canvas, backside soiled, unframed, rolled-up, c.60x43cm