Attributes of rDo-rje Kon-btsun De-mo in a "rgyan tshogs" banner. Distemper painting by a Tibetan painter.

The painting shows the attributes of Dorje Kongtsun Demo ("Venerable Protectress of Kongpo"), also known as Dorje Bokhamkyong ("Protectress of Tibet and Kham"). She is one of the twelve mountain goddesses (brtan-ma bcu-gnyis) and is associated in particular with Mount Namchak Barwa in the esatern Himalayas, below which her sacred abode is situated

The top of the painting is adorned with jewel pendants. Below them, the crown of the goddess is fashioned with turquoise inset with gold, with gold earrings, and a pair of phoenixes alongside. Below it are a cherry-brown veil masking the protectress's face, a necklace, and a white robe with red and green patterns, resting on a brown saddle, which is itself positioned above a lotus cushion

On either side of these accoutrements are the hand-held emblems of Kongtsun demo: the flaming sword, the arrow fastened with its oracular mirror, the rossed vajra (thunderbolts), and mirror. Below the lotus cushion a row of offerings is arrayed: a three legged cauldron, a vase filled with peonies symbolizing long life, pots of nectar, and king's and queen's earrings. Below them, in the centre is a triple offering cake (gtor ma), and flanking the cake two mounts of Dorje Kongtsun Demo: a horse with turquoise saddle (right) and a grey mule (left)

[Tibet]

1 painting : distemper on linen ; distemper 62 x 48 cm.

Marianne Winder, Catalogue of Tibetan manuscripts and xylographs, and catalogue of thankas, banners and other paintings and drawings in the Library of the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, London 1989, p. 91-92, thankas banners and paintings no. 30

Gyurme Dorje, 'A rare series of Tibetan banners', in N. Allan (ed.), Pearls of the orient: Asian treasures of the Wellcome Library, London 2003, pp. 161-177 (pp. 174-175 and fig. 15)

Wellcome Collection 47076i