Busacca Gallery

A spectacular little very old Mongolian painting. Painted on a fine Canvas textile. A Sexual spiritual demon watching over a man having sex with the bull. This painting is explicit and demonic that it is difficult to look at, but as a painted work of art it is Beautiful. The work is connected to Mongolia, Asia and Buddha art. In Western religion this demon is called an Incubus / The combination of sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucination could easily cause someone to believe that a "demon was holding them down". Nocturnal arousal etc. could be explained away by creatures causing otherwise guilt-producing behavior. Add to this the common phenomena of nocturnal arousal and nocturnal emission, and all the elements required to believe in an incubus are present. The image is Tibetan Buddhist protector named Kalarupa, specifically a protector of Gelugpa lineage. Kalarupa is found throughout all the Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug traditions as a special protector associated with the Vajrabhairava Yamantaka Tantras. He is said to be the protector who Lama Tsongkhapa chose for the Gelugpa lineage, and as such, it is practised throughout all Gelugpa monasteries and institutions, including at Kechara House. He is depicted with his consort Chamundi. As the protector of the Small Scope of Lam Rim, Kalarupa is the protector of those who observe the law of karma, or cause and effect in their spiritual practice, as he observes both their wholesome and unwholesome actions. Similar to the roles of other Dharma protectors who guard specific teachings, Kalarupa protects Yamantaka practitioners from obstacles arising from their own karma. In addition, he assists by creating conducive conditions for the practice of Yamantaka in order for practitioners to gain high realisations and ultimately enlightenment. This role also includes protecting the teachings from being lost or abused. * Mongol Empire art was quite sophisticated. While the Mongols didn’t produce much literature or fine art during the Mongol Empire, they appreciated and cultivated the arts of the sedentary peoples around them. The Mongol Khans became great patrons of the arts, supporting artists and artisans of all kinds. While not artists themselves in the traditional Mongolian culture, once peace was established in the Empire, all the Khans and sub-khans protected and patronized the arts. In fact, the Mongol Empire gave rise to a flourishing of the fine arts, benefiting the literature and decorative and fine arts of all the people they ruled. Under Genghis Khan, textile workers, architects, stone carvers and jewelers were relocated from the Middle East and Central Asia to Mongolia to create the magnificent works of art desired by the Mongols. Under Ogedai, Genghis’ son and successor, artisans were put to work building and decorating Karakhorum, the Mongols’ capital city. Under Kublai, Genghis’ grandson and Great Khan, the Yuan dynasty of China saw all the arts flourish, from delicate blue porcelain vases to elaborate staged theatrical plays. During the pax Mongolica, as artists and artisans traveled throughout the Empire, cross cultural influences in the arts took hold. One can see the blue from Afghani lapis luzuli on Chinese porcelains or Persian elements in Golden Horde artifacts. The art motif of the Chinese dragon made its way to European paintings. Thus, while the Mongols didn’t create art, the arts blossomed because of Mongolian cultural protection and patronage.

The image is Tibetan Buddhist protector named Kalarupa, specifically a protector of Gelugpa lineage. Kalarupa is found throughout all the Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug traditions as a special protector associated with the Vajrabhairava Yamantaka Tantras. He is said to be the protector who Lama Tsongkhapa chose for the Gelugpa lineage, and as such, it is practised throughout all Gelugpa monasteries and institutions, including at Kechara House. He is depicted with his consort Chamundi.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Mongolia

Before the 20th century, most works of the fine arts in Mongolia had a religious function, and therefore Mongolian fine arts were heavily influenced by religious texts. Thangkas were usually painted or made in applique technique. Bronze sculptures usually showed Buddhist deities. A number of great works are attributed to the first Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, Zanabazar.



In the late 19th century, painters like "Marzan" Sharav turned to more realistic painting styles. Under the Mongolian People's Republic, socialist realism was the dominant painting style, however traditional thangka-like paintings dealing with secular, nationalist themes were also popular, a genre known as "Mongol zurag".



Among the first attempts to introduce modernism into the fine arts of Mongolia was the painting Ehiin setgel (Mother's love) created by Tsevegjav in the 1960s. The artist was purged as his work was censored.



All forms of fine arts flourished only after "Perestroika" in the late 1980s.