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Lot Essay
Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, sits in dhyanasana on a double-lotus base with his hands held before him in dharmachakramudra. A pair of lotus blossoms flank his shoulders, the right one holds a book, representing the attainment of transcendent wisdom and the left one supporting a sword, symbolizing the power of knowledge to cut through ignorance and illusion.
This figure was on loan to the McNay Art Institute in San Antonio as part of the museum’s Collector’s Gallery exhibition. Annually, the Friends of the McNay would host an exhibition for the patrons of the museum, offering them an opportunity to collect from a wide array of categories, ranging from African and pre-Columbian to silver and Tibetan works. One of a handful of Tibetan objects offered that year, this eye-catching work was purchased the very night of the exhibition’s opening dinner, and has remained in the family ever since.
This figure was on loan to the McNay Art Institute in San Antonio as part of the museum’s Collector’s Gallery exhibition. Annually, the Friends of the McNay would host an exhibition for the patrons of the museum, offering them an opportunity to collect from a wide array of categories, ranging from African and pre-Columbian to silver and Tibetan works. One of a handful of Tibetan objects offered that year, this eye-catching work was purchased the very night of the exhibition’s opening dinner, and has remained in the family ever since.