The Bodhisattva Manjushri as a Ferocious Destroyer of Ignorance

Nepal, Kathmandu Valley

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 252

With his knitted brows, fearsome face, and aggressive stance, Manjushri takes on a manifestation associated with his role as a tantric-knowledge being. He originally had a sword in his right hand and in his left he displays the gesture of discourse and teaching (vitarka mudra). Elaborate jewels in his headdress and on his belt relate to Sogdian motifs from Central Asia, while the gold textile patterns of his dhoti (loincloth) likely have north India as their source.



On view from March 27, 2021–October 30, 2022

The Bodhisattva Manjushri as a Ferocious Destroyer of Ignorance, Gilt-copper alloy with color and gold paint, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley

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The Bodhisattva Manjushri as a Ferocious Destroyer of Ignorance, Gilt-copper alloy with color and gold paint, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
The Bodhisattva Manjushri as a Ferocious Destroyer of Ignorance, Gilt-copper alloy with color and gold paint, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
The Bodhisattva Manjushri as a Ferocious Destroyer of Ignorance, Gilt-copper alloy with color and gold paint, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
The Bodhisattva Manjushri as a Ferocious Destroyer of Ignorance, Gilt-copper alloy with color and gold paint, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley

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