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The guardian deity Guan Di
The guardian deity Guan Di

The guardian deity Guan Di

Place of OriginMongolia
Date1800-1900
MaterialsColors on cotton
DimensionsH. 2 7/8 in x W. 2 3/8 in, H. 7.3 cm x W. 6.0 cm
Credit LineGift of Judge and Mrs. Robert A. Fugazi
Object number1992.26
DepartmentHimalayan Art
ClassificationsPainting
On View
Not on view
More Information

Framed miniatures such as these are for worship on family altars. Guan Di was a 3rd-century Chinese general who was later deified as the God of War. Introduced into the Tibetan pantheon during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), he was worshipped as the guardian of the empire.

Jangjya Khutuktu Rolpay Dorje (1717-86) was the highest incarnation among the Yellow Hat Sect (Gelugpa) in Inner Mongolia during the Qing dynasty. He was a great scholar and the State Preceptor of the Qianlong Emperor of China.