This thangka depicts the tutelary deity Vajrabhairava in the center, with Tsong-kha-pa above flanked by Six-Armed Mahakala(left) and Vaisravana(right), and the three Dharma-protecting deities at the bottom. Because Vajrabhairava is one of the three chief tutelary deities of dGe-lugs-pa school, paintings of him are quite common, and this thangka has been done in the traditional "black thangka" (nag thang) style, with black the underlying color, which is preferred for wrathful deities such as Vajrabhairava.