Tibetan Buddhist Mahakala Mask From Nepal (Wall Hanging)

The wrathful Mahakala has the all-consuming composure of time. He is Mahakala, the great (‘maha’) overlord of time (‘kala’) itself. The mask that you see on this page depicts the wrath of Lord Mahakala: angered, bloodshot eyes and jaws clenched so hard as to reveal a ferocious dental apparatus. Sculpted from wood, an organic medium, it is a fine example of traditional Nepalese handiwork.

Lord Mahakala has three eyes that pierce through time. Dense brow and whiskers, the colour of Himalayan verdure. Nostrils flared and on the verge of spewing fire. His facial musculature contorted to make space for His bulging eyes and jaws, making for an image of profound wrath. And it is adharma, all that stands in the way of dharma, that births such wrath and the wielder of such wrath Himself. Note the colour gradient applied skilfully upon the different features of the difficult face.

In keeping with traditional Buddhist iconography, the Mahakala mask features a five-spired crown. The spires in question are but miniscule skulls with teeth and jaws bared, as ferocious as the deity upon whose brow they lie. Punctuated by the bodies of vicious snakes aplenty. The crown itself resembles a quantum of flame in terms of both colour and silhouette (crimson and the curves along the zenith). The pale orange infusion of colour and the singular grey strokes set off the impression of a roaring fire in keeping with the personality of Lord Mahakala.