Cham figure

The Weltmuseum Wien has 12 wooden figures in the Hans Leder Collection, which depict figures from the sacred Tsam dance that originated in Tibet. The figures were commissioned by Leder and are probably not an autochthonous Mongolian artefact. The Tsam dance is a religious ceremony or sacred festival in which lamas or monks dress up in elaborate masks and costumes (at a certain time of year) and perform pantomime dances in front of the temples accompanied by music. They represent various Buddhist patron gods, animals, Garuda or heroes.

Makaravaktra appears together with Simhavaktra as the main attendant of the goddess Palen Lhamo. Lang refers to Pozdneevs, according to whom Makaravaktra, or the crocodile-headed one, appears in the Tsam in Erdene dsuu together with Lha- ma Seng- ge gdong- can, called the lion-headed one. Both usually hold a sword in their right hand and a snake in their left hand, but this figure holds snakes in both hands.