Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Unidentified artist
Tibet or Mongolia
White Tara, 19th century
Thangka; pigments on cloth
63.37

Tara, the beloved female Buddha of compassion, is seated on a lotus throne with an elaborate floral halo amid a celestial landscape of clouds, hills, and foliage. In her form as White Tara, she bestows longevity and healing. Her left hand is raised to her chest, holding the stem of a lotus flower blooming at her shoulder. She rests her outward-facing right hand on her knee in the gesture of supreme generosity or granting blessings. White Tara's retinue of deities aids her to heal and protect. In this uncommon composition, she is flanked by two mythical bird-like creatures (garuda) who protect from diseases, and the Medicine Buddha with his bowl of healing nectar sits directly below her. The awkward treatment of many of the figures is the result of poorly executed repainting.
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White Tara is one of a group of bodhisattvas or Buddhas who reflect or contain certain aspects of Buddhist virtue. White Tara embodies compassion, long life, healing, and serenity. Through contemplation of the image, a believer develops the qualities or virtues expressed by the figure.