The Buddha Vajrasattva
Place of OriginTibet
Date1200-1300
MaterialsBronze
DimensionsH. 5 1/4 in x W. 4 1/4 in x D. 2 7/8 in, H. 13.4 cm x W. 10.9 cm x D. 7.4 cm
Credit LineGift of the Connoisseurs' Council
Object number1990.198
DepartmentHimalayan Art
ClassificationsSculpture
On View
On viewLocationGallery 12
More InformationDespite his diminutive size, Vajrasattva is one of the most important figures in the practice of Vajrayana Buddhism. He sits in crossed-legged fashion, but with a certain dynamism to his pose. He holds a symbolic thunderbolt (vajra) to his heart, while he holds his bell (ghanta) inverted at his waist, as if he had just silenced it. Taken together, the vajra and the bell symbolize compassion and wisdom, the two components of enlightenment.
Subject
- thunderbolt
- ritual bell
- Vajrasattva
1800-1900
1700-1800
approx. 1200-1300
1500-1600
aprpox. 1700-1780
