Description
Emerging from a field of red, the protector deity Begtse furiously defends the Buddhist teachings from enemies of the religion. The stark white eyes, teeth, and skull and bone ornaments of Begtse and his entourage are immediately perceptible, but it takes greater concentration to see the subtle gold lines that articulate the rest of the composition against its crimson ground. True to his name, which means “coat of mail,” Begtse wears an elaborate suit of armor, and he brandishes a scorpion-handled sword, a tall spear bearing a severed head, and the heart of a defeated opponent. An important protector of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, Begtse is also prominent in Mongolia.
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