Vajrabhairava

This thangka depicts the tutelary deity Vajrabhairava in the center. Because Vajrabhairava is one of the three chief tutelary deities of dGe-lugs-pa school, paintings of him are quite common. Also because Vajrabhairava has the head of a water-buffalo, he often faces towards the left (tight to the beholder) so as to emphasize his protuberant nose, but here he faces frontwards, and in spite of his exceedingly wrathful aspect there is a certain humorousness to his expression.