A splendid antique 19th Century tsakli painting in mineral pigments and burnished gold depicting, within a burst of roiling flames rides, from the Westerly realms, the red-bodied one of the 5 heavenly kings Dgra-lha-skyes-gcig-bu -the King of Speech, on his black mule. He wears a lavishly gold- decorated turquoise-trimmed red coat with an over vest the colour of a thundery sky, lined with a brilliant yellow lining. His right hand with claw-like nails holds a dorje tipped staff, while his left holds a rope snare. He has a black hat with an upturned brim and a norbu finial, and he wears red, thick-soled boots as he rides over 18th Century-style rocky mountains and a sea of bloody waves.
A line of text above blessings in red ink to the reverse. 9.5 x 11.4cm