Portrait of Yutog Yontan Gonpo

The Portrait of Yutog Yontan Gonpo is an 17th century Buddhist depiction of the lama and the physician Yutog Yontan Gonpo of Tibet. This style of Tibetan thangka painting is called 'tsal thang' with gold on a vermilion ground.

The figure of Yutog Yontan Gonpo is often portrayed surrounded by the five buddhas above, the eight Medicine Goddesses at the sides, his special yidam Black Hayagriva accompanied by four goddesses below. The protector Mahakala Shanglon Dorje Dradul typically placed at the bottom center is accompanied by eight fearsome wrathful protector deities with one face and two or four hands, each riding a vahana. Four of the retinue figures ride atop wild animal or zombie mounts and each of those has nine heads.

The portrait depicts a clean shaven Gonpo as he stretches the right arm forward across the knee in the mudra of generosity while holding the stem of a pink lotus flower blossoming over the shoulder supporting the wisdom book and sword. The left placed at the heart holds the stem of another lotus, blossoming over the left shoulder, supporting a gold vajra and medicinal nectar vase topped with precious jewels. With a headdress of red flower blossoms, he wears a long flowing garment typical of a layman, trimmed with blue and tied with a red sash. He is surrounded by a blue-orange nimbus and dark green areola. In front, an ornate table supports a large bowl of myrobalan fruit and precious jewels.

At the top center is the buddha Akshobhya with one face and two hands holding to the heart with the right a vajra sceptre and with the left a skullcup in the lap. Seated in vajra posture he embraces the consort. At the left is thr Ratnasambhava holding a jewel to the heart and embracing the consort. Below is buddha Vairochana holding a wheel to the heart. At the right is buddha Amitabha holding a lotus flower. Below the buddha Amoghasiddhi is holding a visva-vajra to the heart surrounded by radiant light.

At the middle right and left are four standing goddesses holding a flute, horn, lute and a mirror. Beautiful in appearance with flowing garments they stand on lotus seats surrounded by light.

At the bottom center is the Medicine Buddha in the form of a wrathful tutelary deity, Black Hayagriva, with one face, and three eyes with a head crowned with a single green horse head. The right hand holds aloft a curved knife "(kartika)" and in the left a skullcup "(kapala)" to the heart. On the rear of Hayagriva two large black wings are unfurled. At the right and left stand four goddesses each with one face and two hands holding aloft in the right a curved knife and a skullcup to the heart with the left, carrying a katvanga staff in the bend of the elbow. Adorned with a tiara of five skulls and various bone ornaments, they each stand on the left leg in a dancing posture surrounded again by radiant light.

Notes

References

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External links

* [http://www.himalayanart.org/image.cfm/185.html Gonpo at Himilayan art.org]