Page 52 - CHRISTIE'S Himalayan and SOutheast Asian Works of Art 09/13/17

PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE WEST COAST COLLECTION Vajrayogini is one of the primary meditational deities of Tantric Buddhism and the female
embodiment of enlightenment achieved through Tantric practice. She is associated with
627 a highly secretive yogic practice which provides the practitioner a fast and direct path to
A BRONZE FIGURE OF VAJRAYOGINI enlightenment. She is the partner of Chakrasamvara and together, by the eleventh century,
they became two of the most popular deities in Himalayan Tantric Buddhism.
TIBET, 16TH CENTURY
9¬ in. (24.5 cm.) high Here, the great goddess lunges in alidhasana with a recumbent fgure under each foot,
$60,000-80,000 atop a double lotus base. Her dynamic pose is accentuated by her long limbs and narrow
torso, which twists upwards. She raises a blood-flled skull cup in her left hand symbolizing
西藏 十六世紀 銅金剛瑜伽佛母像 non-duality and wields a curved knife in her right, with which she cuts away ignorance.
Dressed only in strands of beaded jewelry, her nudity represents the Buddhist concept
PROVENANCE of emptiness. A garland of freshly severed heads is draped over her shoulders and skulls
adorn her tiara. Her expression appears engaged and smiling, however, upon closer
Private West Coast Collection. examination, her smiling mouth shows bared fangs. Her wrathful demeanor is not intended
Acquired by the present owner by 20 April 1998. to frighten, but rather to convey her unwavering nature. Large sculptures of Vajrayogini are
rare, especially from this period and earlier, making the present work even more impressive.
PUBLISHED

Himalayan Art Resource (himalayanart.org), item no. 24330

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