TIBET, 17TH CENTURY

The worship of the Buddhist deity Chakrasamvara, which translates as Wheel of Bliss, began in Eastern India in the 9th and 10th centuries as part of the Anuttarayoga Wisdom (mother) classification of Vajrayana Buddhist Tradition. Many scholars contend that Samvara arises out of a pre-Buddhist deity, as the presence of a third eye and the crescent moon in his hair, as well as his accoutrements, including a trident, damaru, outstretched elephant skin and the head of Brahma, are all associated with the god Shiva. One of the most popular deities in Himalayan Tantric Buddhism, Chakrasamvara can appear in several dozen different forms, from simple to complex, peaceful to wrathful. It is thus necessary to rely on the descriptive literature in the Sanskrit and Tibetan languages to identify his particular forms. Adding to the complexity, there are more than fifty different traditions of these forms in Tibetan Buddhism. They are meant to emphasize different types of meditation practice that are suited for specific types of emotional and psychological characteristics in the tantric practitioners who take on these intricate practices.

For a closely related example which illustrates the slender and refined proportions of Chakrasamvara bronzes from the 17th century, see H. Uhlig, On The Path to Enlightenment: The Berti Aschmann Foundation of Tibetan Art at the Museum Rietberg Zurich, 1995, p.168-169, cat no.112.