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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original file18th-century thangka of Tibet, Snow Lion detail, from- Dolpopa (cropped)
The snow lion is painted in a vibrant white against a deep red background. Its mane, ears, and tail are rendered in a thick, curly, dark green, and its facial features include distinct eyes with golden irises and a small pink muzzle. The creature is posed in a semi-crouching stance, with its forepaws pressed upward against a horizontal gold-bordered ledge, serving as a caryatid-like support figure commonly found at the base of sacred seats in Tibetan iconography.
The Snow Lion is a protector deity in Tibetan Buddhism and a national symbol of Tibet, frequently depicted as a throne-bearer for high lamas and deities such as Vajradhara or Manjushri. This specific posture signifies the lion's role as a guardian of the Dharma and its support for enlightened wisdom.
Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen
This image is a detail from a thangka related to the Jonang tradition founded by Dolpopa, who emphasized Shentong (emptiness of other) philosophy.
Object
thangka
silk
18th century
Tibetan
religious
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
287 × 184 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 20, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.