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Lot Essay
Amoghapasa Avalokiteshvara, a significant esoteric manifestation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, is revered as the “Unfailing Lasso Bearer”, a saviour figure who draws sentient beings toward liberation using his compassionate noose. One of the eight principal tutelary deities of the Kathmandu Valley, Amoghapasa holds a special place in the Vajrayana pantheon of Nepal and Tibet, where his cult flourished widely during the late first and early second millennia.
In this elegant representation, the deity stands in tribhanga, a triple-flexed pose embodying both grace and divine presence. His primary right hand is raised in abhaya mudra the gesture of protection and reassurance, while the lower right hand extends in varada mudra, granting boons. The remaining right hands, now damaged, would have held a rosary (aksamala) and the eponymous noose (pasa), symbolising his vow to rescue beings from the endless cycle of suffering.
The principal left hand supports a kamandalu (water vessel), signifying purity, and a lotus stalk rises alongside, emblematic of spiritual awakening and liberation from the hell realms. The other left hands, originally holding a manuscript (pustaka) and a trident, speak to his role as a spiritual guide and protector.
He is richly adorned with foliate armbands, multi-strand necklaces, rosette earrings, and a finely chased five-leaf crown, with billowing sashes cascading from the sides. The elaborate dhoti, pleated and edged with intricate beaded patterns, is secured by a jewelled girdle. His high chignon (jatamukuta) is crowned with the chintamaṇi, the wish-fulfilling jewel that is a defining attribute of Avalokiteshvara.
A stylistically similar yet later bronze of Amoghapasa Avalokiteshvara, now in the Cleveland Museum of Art (1936.686), shows a simplification of ornamentation and greater rigidity in posture and garment treatment, reflecting evolving aesthetic preferences. Another important example is published in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p. 361, fig. 96F, which documents a Tibetan bronze with similar iconography and attributes, attesting to the deity’s popularity in the Himalayas during the 11th–13th centuries. For additional context, see Huntington and Bangdel, The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art, Los Angeles, 2003, pp. 186-190, which discusses Amoghapasa's ritual role in Mahayoga and Yogatantra traditions shared across Nepal and Tibet.
This image reflects the Newar aesthetic of Nepalese metalwork, especially from the Licchavi and early Malla periods, in its fluid modelling, intricate detailing, and spiritual expressiveness. Yet its widespread dissemination beyond Nepal is attested by several examples found across the Tibetan plateau, where Amoghapasa was integrated into local Vajrayana practice.
In this elegant representation, the deity stands in tribhanga, a triple-flexed pose embodying both grace and divine presence. His primary right hand is raised in abhaya mudra the gesture of protection and reassurance, while the lower right hand extends in varada mudra, granting boons. The remaining right hands, now damaged, would have held a rosary (aksamala) and the eponymous noose (pasa), symbolising his vow to rescue beings from the endless cycle of suffering.
The principal left hand supports a kamandalu (water vessel), signifying purity, and a lotus stalk rises alongside, emblematic of spiritual awakening and liberation from the hell realms. The other left hands, originally holding a manuscript (pustaka) and a trident, speak to his role as a spiritual guide and protector.
He is richly adorned with foliate armbands, multi-strand necklaces, rosette earrings, and a finely chased five-leaf crown, with billowing sashes cascading from the sides. The elaborate dhoti, pleated and edged with intricate beaded patterns, is secured by a jewelled girdle. His high chignon (jatamukuta) is crowned with the chintamaṇi, the wish-fulfilling jewel that is a defining attribute of Avalokiteshvara.
A stylistically similar yet later bronze of Amoghapasa Avalokiteshvara, now in the Cleveland Museum of Art (1936.686), shows a simplification of ornamentation and greater rigidity in posture and garment treatment, reflecting evolving aesthetic preferences. Another important example is published in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p. 361, fig. 96F, which documents a Tibetan bronze with similar iconography and attributes, attesting to the deity’s popularity in the Himalayas during the 11th–13th centuries. For additional context, see Huntington and Bangdel, The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art, Los Angeles, 2003, pp. 186-190, which discusses Amoghapasa's ritual role in Mahayoga and Yogatantra traditions shared across Nepal and Tibet.
This image reflects the Newar aesthetic of Nepalese metalwork, especially from the Licchavi and early Malla periods, in its fluid modelling, intricate detailing, and spiritual expressiveness. Yet its widespread dissemination beyond Nepal is attested by several examples found across the Tibetan plateau, where Amoghapasa was integrated into local Vajrayana practice.