The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 23, 2024

Manjuvara with consort (yab-yum)

Manjuvara with consort (yab-yum)

c. 1100s
kaolinite
Overall: 7.3 x 4.7 x 2.5 cm (2 7/8 x 1 7/8 x 1 in.)
Edwin R. and Harriet Pelton Perkins Memorial Fund 1987.44
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

A devotee would have carried this small devotional item as a personal, portable shrine.

Description

This miniature stele shows Manjuvara, a form of the the Bodhisattva of Wisdom Manjushri, in union (yab yum) with his consort (sakti). The intimacy between the deities, in accordance with Vajrayana Buddhism, is symbolic of the union between wisdom and compassion that leads to the bliss of enlightenment. Both figures have three heads and six arms holding their attributes: a sword (khadga), a bow (dhanus), an arrow (bana), and a lotus (padma).

The sculpture is made in kaolinite, a clay-based stone frequently used in the northern regions of India and Burma. The exceptionally fine carving, executed with great precision and attention to detail, reflects the Pala style instrumental in the development of the Himalayan schools of sculpture.
  • ?–1987
    (Spink & Son, Ltd., London, England, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1987–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Orientations, vol. 20, October 1989. Mentioned and Reproduced: fig. 16, p. 41
    Huntington, John C., Dina Bangdel, and Robert A. F. Thurman. The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art. Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2003. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 138, pp. 447–448
    Menzies, Jackie, and Chaya Chandrasekhar. Goddess: Divine Energy. Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2006. Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 264, fig. 4
  • The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA (organizer) (October 5, 2003-January 11, 2004); Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH (February 8-May 9, 2004).
    The Year in Review for 1987. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 24-April 17, 1988).
  • {{cite web|title=Manjuvara with consort (yab-yum)|url=false|author=|year=c. 1100s|access-date=23 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1987.44