ODOROKU Manjushiri Bodhisattva Embroidered Fabric Mounted Tibetan Thangka 文殊菩萨唐卡

A thangka, variously spelt as thangka, tangka, thanka, or tanka: is a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton, silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala. Thangkas are traditionally kept unframed and rolled up when not on display, mounted on a textile backing somewhat in the style of Chinese scroll paintings, with a further silk cover on the front. So treated, thangkas can last a long time, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture will not affect the quality of the silk.Thangka serve as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities and bodhisattvas. One subject is The Wheel of Life (Bhavachakra), which is a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings (Art of Enlightenment).

Manjushri is the bodhisattva of wisdom. He appears here in his peaceful, two-armed form. His hands are held at his heart in the teaching gesture or dharmachakra mudra.

They hold the stems of lotuses that blossom above each shoulder. On Manjushri's right, the lotus supports his flaming sword of wisdom that cuts through ignorance. The lotus on his left holds scriptures containing the wisdom of the Buddha. The hands in the teaching gesture indicate that Manjushri's teaching itself performs the functions of the sword and book. Some Tibetan icons of Manjushri show him actually holding the sword in his right hand and the book in his left. The lotus blossom above the shoulder is a device in Tibetan art that allows the deity to hold his or her attributes while also demonstrating the appropriate symbolic mudra or gesture.