The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 23, 2025
Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda
painting 1600s, embroidery c. 1300
(Tibetan, 1604–1674)
Overall: 44.5 x 2.5 cm (17 1/2 x 1 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1989.11.d
Location: not on view
Did You Know?
Vajrapani sometimes takes the form of Garuda, enemy of snakes.Description
The painting depicts the Buddhist protector who holds (pani) the thunder bolt (vajra) in his right hand. He kneels in reverence and holds his left hand in a gesture of salute. This unusual image appears to have been the vision of a Tibetan monastic patriarch known for creating his own inventive paintings and sculptures.Sewn to the painting are Chinese damask borders and rare embroideries dating to the Chinese Yuan dynasty (1279–1368). They depict man-eagle figures known as Garuda, a form occasionally assumed by Vajrapani.
- ?–1989(Sara Tremayne, Ltd., London, England, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)1989–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- {{cite web|title=Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda|url=false|author=Choying Dorje, the Tenth Black Hat Karmapa|year=painting 1600s, embroidery c. 1300|access-date=23 April 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1989.11.d