Eleven-faced Avalokitesvara

This is a thangka of the Sakyapa (Coloured Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. The central figure is Eleven-faced Avalokitesvara, the half-angry ("frowning") expression of the Esoteric Buddhist Avalokitesvara. To the left and right are the Bodhisattva Manjusri and Vajrapani. In the upper heavenly realm are the Buddhas of the Five Directions, and in the lower section the Three Guardians, from right to left: dpal-ldan lha-mo (Sanskrit: Srimati Devi); gur-gyi-mgon-po (Chinese: Baozhang-huzhu); and chos-rgyal (Sanskrit: Yama). This thangka has a typical "three realms" layout.