Palden Lhamo

The snarling, fanged mouth, crown of skulls, garland of decapitated heads, and cape of flayed human skin identify this figure as Lhamo, the Himalayan Buddhist form of the Hindu death goddess Kali. Lhamo is the most extreme of the eight dharmapalas, violent demons who were tamed by Buddhist sages and became the protectors of the Buddhist scriptures. The savage goddess rides her mule through a sea of blood, accompanied by two demons. This horrific concept is typical subject matter in Tantric Buddhist art, which explores extremes of human experience in the search for enlightenment.