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 Bodhisattva Vajrapani
Vajrapani, whose name means “holder of the vajra (thunderbolt)” in Sanskrit, embodies the very power of enlightenment. Here he stands assertively as a protector, his posture associated with the tantric deity Achala. A tantric practitioner venerates Vajrapani to become the deity through self-identification. This collapses the distinction between deity and practitioner, an act of empowerment, and moves the devotee toward enlightenment. The lotus pond below and the bold, graphic style overall relate to north Indian Pala idioms, while motifs such as his spiked crown link this work to late twelfth-century Tibetan wall painting.
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