Page 198 - Christies King St. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART

248 The current fgure represents the ferocious, thirty-four-armed form of the
deity Vajrabhairava, a manifestation of the bodhisattva Manjushri, with his
A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF VAJRABHAIRAVA AND VAJRA consort, Vajra Vetali. Vajrabhairava is one of the principle meditational deities
VETALI in the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism, which from the 17th century was the
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795) dominant religious power in Tibet. The Qing emperors maintained direct
links with the dignitaries of the Gelug sect, including the Dalai and Panchen
清乾隆 鎏金銅大威德金剛像 Lamas, and propagated this form of Buddhism within China itself, sponsoring
the lavish construction of numerous temples in and around the capital of
The wrathful bufalo-headed deity is intricately cast striding in alidhasana on Beijing. In the 18th century, the Qianlong Emperor promoted himself as a
an array of prostrated fgures and animals, supported on a lotus base. He holds manifestation of Manjushri as well, underlining his wisdom, compassion, and
a vajra and a skull cup in his principal hands, with the remaining arms radiating spiritual transcendence. Images of Vajrabhairava, therefore, carried both a
around him holding numerous attributes. He has a ferocious expression to the religious and political weight, fulflling their role within Gelug worship and
face, with two human faces on top of the principal head. His consort has the practice, while simultaneously promoting the lineage of the Emperor.
left leg wrapped around his waist, holding a curved knife and a skull cup in
her hands. This impressive and heavily-cast fgure is cleverly constructed in several
pieces, including, unusually, the upper half of the goddess’ body, which
6Ω in. (16.5 cm.) high attaches to the lower half and the main fgure with a tang and socket. The
deity strides on the backs of Hindu gods, which may be identifed as Brahma,
£20,000-30,000 $31,000-46,000 Indra, Vishnu, Shiva, Kartikkeya, Ganesha, Surya, and Chandra. Each deity,
€28,000-41,000 as well as each aspect of Vajrabhairava’s appearance, acts as a mnemonic
device for remembering the meditational worship of the god.

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