Thangka of the 8th Karmapa, Mikyö Dorje

The central figure, the 8th Karmapa, wears a black hat and bright red robes, holding his hands in the vajrahumkara mudra across his chest. He is seated on a lotus throne within a circular aura; above him are nine smaller figures representing the lineage, and encircling him are six dakinis in varied skin tones—red, yellow, white, green, and black—engaged in a rhythmic dance. At the bottom, separated by a landscape of rolling green hills, are three wrathful, multi-limbed deities, including a central dark-skinned figure and a flaming, multi-armed figure on a horse, set against a background of fire and ritual offerings.

This image represents the Karma Gardri school of Tibetan painting, characterized by its emphasis on spatial depth and delicate, atmospheric landscapes. It serves as a visual lineage record for the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, documenting the authority of the 8th Karmapa, Mikyö Dorje, who was a significant scholar and ritual master.