NEPAL, XVIIEME-XVIIIEME SIECLE

This imposing gilt-copper figure of Vajradhara represents the supreme essence of all Buddhas in Vajrayana Buddhism. He manifests himself in the form of a bejewelled Buddha or bodhisattva with a crown and ornaments, as can be gleaned from the figure presented here. His embracing gesture, originally holding the vajra and ghanta, symbolises the union of compassion and wisdom at the ultimate level of enlightenment. The shining gilt-copper sacred image demonstrates perfectly his mystical nature enhanced by his introspective gaze that transcend the mundane world. The figure is made in a Newari atelier for a Buddhist sanctuary in Nepal, most likely during the seventeenth to early eigteenth century.