A THANGKA OF CATURBHUJA MAHAKALA Tibet, 18th - 19th century. Finely painted with the four-armed blue Mahakala seated atop two male figures on a lotus throne, the fierce face with three large bulging eyes, wearing a tiger-skin dhoti, a white ribbon decorated with scrolls around his shoulders and a five-skull crown. Holding in his principal hands a crescent knife and a skullcap, the other hands holding a vajra-handled sword and a trident, all within a flaming aureole. At the bottom are three wrathful deities. The backside with inscriptions. Condition: With wear, soiling, minor creases, and losses. Provenance: Austrian private collection. Dimensions: Size incl. mounting 117 x 70 cm, Image size 70 x 49 cm