Seventh Dalai Lama, Kalzang Gyatso (1708–1757)

In the center of this painting is the Seventh Dalai Lama, Kalzang Gyatso (1708–1757), holding a lotus and a vase with a moon disk on it. His white color and the tiny depiction of Avalokiteshvara above him reinforce the association of the Dalai Lamas to the bodhisattva. Surrounding the central figure is an expanded presentation of the previous incarnations of the Dalai Lamas with those from India at the top, the early kings of Tibet in the center, and the more immediate predecessors at the bottom. Among the yellow-hatted figures at the bottom are the first, third, and fifth Dalai Lama incarnations.