The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 24, 2024
Bodhisattva Vajrapani
700s
Location: not on view
Description
One of the earliest surviving tantric sculptures, this figure of Vajrapani—"he who holds the lightning bolt"—places his hand on a vajra, a thunder bolt symbol that refers to the lightning speed with which practitioners may achieve enlightenment when they follow tantric techniques. The prongs of the lightning bolt are in his hair; his arms are crossed, and a knotted snake is slung around his hips. Vajrapani's elaborate hairstyle, along with the gentle articulation of the cloth, subtly swaying postures, and introspective expressions are close derivations from 5th-century models, thereby implying an early date for the bronze.- The Pan Asian Collection, New York, NY?–1982(Robert H. Ellsworth [1929–2014], New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)1982–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Lee, Sherman E. “Year in Review for 1982.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 70, no. 1 (1983): 3–55. Mentioned: no. 96, p. 54 www.jstor.orgReedy, Chandra L. Himalayan Bronzes: Technology, Style, and Choices. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1997. Reproduced: p. 221, fig. N223
- The Year in Review for 1982. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 5-February 6, 1983).
- {{cite web|title=Bodhisattva Vajrapani|url=false|author=|year=700s|access-date=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1982.52