Mahakala

Bronzes of wrathful deities, like this sculpture of a form of Mahakala (Great Black One), are often rather flat and sturdy and their heads are massive. The deities’ hair is shown standing on end and painted red and if they are dressed they wear either a heavy coat or armor. This form of Mahakala, the Excellent One, appears particularly fierce due to his large head and gaping mouth. Otherwise only the small skulls under the points of his crown and the necklace of severed heads point towards his wrathful nature. He wears a heavy jeweled coat and Tibetan boots.

This bronze of Mahakala presents him as the Excellent One (mGon po legs ldan), a wrathful deity that wears heavy coat and boots and holds a large sandalwood club in both hands in front of the body. He is extremely fierce and raging with blazing hair. This form of Mahakala derives from the Nyingmapa treasure tradition. In some cases, there are three identical manifestations of this deity, each of them ruling one of the three realms to tame gods and demons.