Esoteric Personification of the Vajra

Nepal, Kathmandu Valley

Not on view

This wrathful tantric personage holds the handle of a now-lost sword in one hand and a single-pronged vajra in the other. An opening in the center of his chest reveals a multipronged vajra in his body’s interior, which corresponds to textual descriptions of Vajrasattva having a heart and soul like a vajra. However, his identity is not clear. He has a vertical third eye and upward-pointed fangs, marking him as an aggressive protector that may well have been part of a larger composition.



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

Esoteric Personification of the Vajra, Copper with traces of gilding, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley

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Esoteric Personification of the Vajra, Copper with traces of gilding, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
Esoteric Personification of the Vajra, Copper with traces of gilding, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
Esoteric Personification of the Vajra, Copper with traces of gilding, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley

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