The deity Mahakala as Lord of the Tent

Mahakala’s name translates as Great Time, and he is one of the terrifying Eight Guardians sworn to protect the dharma, or Buddhist doctrine. In this particular form, identifiable by the horizontal bar he carries in his hands, he is the Lord of the Tent, special patron of the Sakya Order of Himalayan Buddhism. The “tent” refers to the canopy of luminous vajras, or lightning bolts, that meditators visualize around their bodies during practice.

The Sakya art tradition, famous for its precise execution and Nepalese influence, dominated Tibet during the critical thirteenth century, when the Vajrayana, or esoteric Buddhism, was transmitted to China by the Mongols.