A SILVER INLAID COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRI


TIBET, CIRCA 12TH/13TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.68323 5 1/2 in. (14 cm) high
|西藏 約十二/十三世紀 銅錯銀文殊菩薩像  This handsome portrait of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Perfected Wisdom, has eyes and an urna of inlaid silver, emphasizing his enlightened mind. With his left hand he raises the bound pages of the Prajnaparamita Sutra before his chest, and with his right he wields aloft the wisdom sword, which cuts through ignorance. The mirrored symmetry of the flailing ends of his scarf adds movement to Manjushri's heroic pose. His belt is decorated with lotus flowers, a symbol of Buddhism's purity and wisdom. Manjushri's legs are crossed nimbly in the diamond pose (vajrasana) and his flexed body is supple and youthful. Manjushri is one of the most important and popularly invoked Bodhissatvas in Mahayana and Vajarayana Buddhism. As discussed by Debreczeny, the origins of Tibetan astrology are said to originate from teachings Manjushri gave while dwelling on the five peaks of China's sacred mountain Wutaishan. This bronze's physiognomy, jewelry, and lotus base are closely informed by the 11th-12th century Pala art of Northeastern India, known to have formed a basis for early Tibetan sculpture. A closely related bronze of Manjushri of the same style and period is held in the Tibet House Museum, New Delhi (HAR 71907). Published Karl Debreczeny, "Wutai Shan: Pilgrimage to Five-Peak Mountain", in Journal of the International Association of Tibetan Studies, no.6, December 2011, p.86, cat.42. Exhibited Wutai Shan: Pilgrimage to Five-Peak Mountain, Rubin Museum of Art, New York, 10 May - 16 October 2007.   Provenance The Nyingjei Lam Collection On loan to the Rubin Museum of Art, New York, 2005-2019