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Lot Essay
The imposing scale and commanding presence of this early Tibetan image of Vajrasattva reflect the enduring influence of eastern Indian Pala sculpture upon the formative traditions of Tibetan Buddhist art. Cast in an ungilded brass now possessing a richly variegated greenish-yellow patina, the figure is exceptionally well modelled, its broad shoulders and supple torso balanced by the generously proportioned double-lotus pedestal with the classic full, plump petals favoured by Tibetan artisans.
Particularly distinctive is the deity’s physiognomy. The face is defined by remarkably long, sharply slanted eyes beneath high arched brows, while the head is surmounted by an exceptionally tall crown of emphatic vertical proportions. Together these features impart an arresting character to the sculpture. Traces of pigment highlighting the face, earrings and flowers above the ears further animate the image. A large vajra in his right hand and matching ghanta held by the left reinforces the verticality of the composition, while the neatly pleated scarf passes elegantly across the shoulders before sweeping beyond the thighs.
The distinctive combination of elongated eyes and tall crown finds a close comparison in another Vajrasattva sold at Sotheby’s, New York, 24 September 1999, lot 53, while related early treatments may be considered alongside a thirteenth-century Vajrasattva formerly in the John and Berthe Ford Collection (HAR73861) and a Jinasagara Avalokiteshvara in Lauf, Eine Ikonographie des tibetischen Buddhismus, Graz, 1979, p. 39, no. 8.
Vajrasattva occupies a fundamental position within Vajrayana Buddhism as the embodiment of adamantine purity. Frequently invoked through visualization and the Hundred-Syllable Mantra, his practice is especially associated with the purification of negative actions, karmic obscurations and breaches of tantric commitments. Holding the vajra and bell, signifying method and wisdom respectively, Vajrasattva embodies their indivisible union and the innate purity of awakened mind.
Particularly distinctive is the deity’s physiognomy. The face is defined by remarkably long, sharply slanted eyes beneath high arched brows, while the head is surmounted by an exceptionally tall crown of emphatic vertical proportions. Together these features impart an arresting character to the sculpture. Traces of pigment highlighting the face, earrings and flowers above the ears further animate the image. A large vajra in his right hand and matching ghanta held by the left reinforces the verticality of the composition, while the neatly pleated scarf passes elegantly across the shoulders before sweeping beyond the thighs.
The distinctive combination of elongated eyes and tall crown finds a close comparison in another Vajrasattva sold at Sotheby’s, New York, 24 September 1999, lot 53, while related early treatments may be considered alongside a thirteenth-century Vajrasattva formerly in the John and Berthe Ford Collection (HAR73861) and a Jinasagara Avalokiteshvara in Lauf, Eine Ikonographie des tibetischen Buddhismus, Graz, 1979, p. 39, no. 8.
Vajrasattva occupies a fundamental position within Vajrayana Buddhism as the embodiment of adamantine purity. Frequently invoked through visualization and the Hundred-Syllable Mantra, his practice is especially associated with the purification of negative actions, karmic obscurations and breaches of tantric commitments. Holding the vajra and bell, signifying method and wisdom respectively, Vajrasattva embodies their indivisible union and the innate purity of awakened mind.