The lion-faced goddess Simhamukha is a dakini whose ferocious appearance halts and repels all negative forces and obstacles. Depicted in a hexagram representing the union of the male and female principle, she is surrounded by curved knives and skull cups filled with blood. An animal-headed retinue figure sits in each of the four cardinal directions aligned with the walls of the surrounding palace. On the bottom register of the painting are a four-faced Mahakala; the lords of the charnel ground; and a four-armed Mahakala devouring a heart. Padmasambhava, closely associated with the goddess, is depicted along the top register, accompanied by buddha Amitabha and an unidentified lineage holder. After originating in northern India, Simhamukha became most popular with the Nyingma or old school of Tibetan Buddhism, a tradition initially propogated by Padmasambhava. The color palette, style of flames, and small vegetation atop the landscape indicate an eighteenth century date of origin for this well-executed painting, when the influence of Chinese landscape painting on Tibetan thangkas was its most pronounced.