A TIBETAN BRONZE FIGURE OF VAJRAPANI

A TIBETAN BRONZE FIGURE OF VAJRAPANI
13TH/14TH CENTURY

The wrathful deity stands in pratyalidhasana upon writhing snakes, holding a vajra in his raised right hand and a small figure of Garuda in his right hand, wearing a tiger skin around his waist and a snake draped over his shoulder, his elaborate jewellery adorned with turquoise, all supported by a double lotus throne, 314g, 12cm.

Provenance: from the collection of Mr Nicholas Squire (1949-2024), Suffolk, England.

Cf. The Palace Museum, Beijing for three similar figures dated from 13th to 14th Century, illustrated in Classics of the Forbidden City: Tibetan Buddhist Sculptures, pls.118, 120 & 121.

Vajrapani, the oldest protective deity in the Buddhist pantheon, embodies strength and serves as the vanquisher of delusion and ignorance. His fierce attributes are accentuated with a spirited naiveté, symbolising his power to overcome any harmful forces that could endanger the dharma and its followers.

十三/十四世紀 銅局部漆金金剛手菩薩立像
來源: 英國薩福克郡Nicholas Squire先生（1949-2024）收藏。