A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VAJRASATTVA


TIBET, 16TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.61962 10 1/2 in. (26.8 cm) high
|西藏 十六世紀 銅鎏金金剛薩埵像 Vajrasattva is a representation of the primordial essence of Buddhahood, the Adi Buddha. Vajrasattva is frequently invoked for a purifying ceremony at the start of Vajrayana rituals, wherein his mantra is repeated a hundred thousand times. Vajrasattva brings an actionable quality to the Adi Buddha's formless purity. Framed by flowing sashes, the Newari creator of this attractive bronze has evoked a sense of immediacy in the slight sway of Vajrasattva's torso. See a closely related example in the British Museum, published in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p.440, no.118B; and a 16th-century Vajradhara in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p.443, no.119G). A similar Newari-made Vajradhara, bearing a distinctly more Tibetan face, was sold at Sotheby's, Paris, 12 December 2013, lot 218. Also compare Christie's, New York, 22 March 2011, lot 300. Provenance Private European Collection