THE HISTORIC BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, Tibet, 19th ct. Tempera and gold on cotton, original silk-satin mounting, with mantra in red, on the back: mantra and blessing syllables in black in. Buddha Shakyamuni in the centre with his two favourite disciples Shariputra and Moghallana, above him the blue Tathagata Akshobhya, holding a golden five-pronged vajra in his lap, Narokhachöma in the upper left corner, holding a sickle knife and a kapala, opposite her a scholar of the Sakya school. With an inscription: sdom gsum rtsol mdzad ratna'i zhabs - "The sacred jewel which strived for the three groups of vows (dumsum)." The lower, material area shows the two lords of the cemeteries dancing the dance of the dead.