The form of Mahākāla depicted here, with one head and two arms, is probably that of mGon-po gri-gug dpa’-gcig, which should be holding karttṛkā and kapāla in his hands, but in this instance the ritual axe has been replaced by a pestle.
He is leaning to the right in the pratyālīḍha stance, his loins are girt with a tiger skin and he wears a garland of skulls. A crown of five skulls surrounds his flaming hair and a long scarf passes behind his head and falls to the ground on either side. He has a third eye in the centre of his forehead and his mouth is open in a terrifying scream.