On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
The Fivefold Form of Vajravarahi
In this unusual painting, Vajravarahi, identifiable by the sow’s head emerging from her neck, appears five times, corresponding in color to diagrams of the universe that mark its center and cardinal directions. As the consort of Chakrasamvara, the subject of a tantra significant in Tibet, Vajravarahi personifies the concept and power of this tantric practice. Across the top sit mahasiddhas, replacing a monastic lineage, and at the base is a row of dancing dakinis who mirror the pose of Vajravarahi. At lower left is a monastic practitioner who may be the patron, and several other monks appear among the surrounding figures. The volumetric figural type and saturated color palette suggest that a Nepali artisan carried out this early work.
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