A preliminary analysis of four sixteenth century woodcut illustrations in mang yul gung thang blockprints: the iconography of Vajradhāra, Tilopa and Nāropa

This essay has the aim of presenting a brief preliminary study on a particular kind of iconography recurring in the illustrations of four sixteenth century blockprints produced in Mang yul Gung thang (South-western Tibet). This peculiar iconography shows a triad of figures, usually seated on a big platform-like throne. At the centre of the triad is a depiction of the Ādi-Buddha Vajradhāra, sometimes drawn with his consort, sometimes without her. On the right side of Vajradhāra is the siddha Tilopa, while on the left side sits the siddha Nāropa. This illustration recurs on folio 1b in all four prints taken into account. This iconography appears well established and defined in its compositional structure, without exhibiting changes in the characterisation of the figures.