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Chakrasamvara Mandala

ca. 1100
Not on view
This ritual diagram (mandala) is conceived as the cosmic palace of the wrathful Chakrasamvara and his consort, Vajravarahi, seen at center. These deities embody the esoteric knowledge of the Yoga Tantras. Six goddesses on stylized lotus petals surround the divine couple. Framing the mandala are the eight great burial grounds of India, each presided over by a deity beneath a tree. The cemeteries are appropriate places for meditation on Chakrasamvara and are emblematic of the various realms of existence. The lower register contains five forms of the goddess Tara, a tantric adept at left, and two donors at right. This mandala is one of the earliest surviving large-scale paintings known from Nepal. Stylistic features relate it to Nepalese manuscript covers and to eastern Indian palm-leaf manuscript illustrations of the twelfth century.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Chakrasamvara Mandala
  • Period: Thakuri–early Malla periods
  • Date: ca. 1100
  • Culture: Nepal
  • Medium: Distemper on cloth
  • Dimensions: Image: H. 26 1/2 in. (67.3 cm); W. 19 3/4 in. (50.2 cm)
    Framed: H. 48 in. (121.9 cm); W. 33 in. (83.8 cm); D. 7/8 in. (2.2 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1995
  • Object Number: 1995.233
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

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Acala, The Buddhist Protector, Distemper and gold on cloth, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
Acala, The Buddhist Protector
Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
equivalent to February / March 1322
Mandala of the Sun God Surya, Kitaharasa, Distemper on cotton, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
Mandala of the Sun God Surya
Kitaharasa
likely 1379
Portrait of Shakyashribhadra with His Life Episodes and Lineage, Distemper on cloth, Tibet
Portrait of Shakyashribhadra with His Life Episodes and Lineage
Tibet
early to mid-14th century
Mandala of Raktayamari, Mikyo Dorje, Distemper on cloth, Central Tibet
Mandala of Raktayamari
Mikyo Dorje
late 14th century
The Bodhisattva Maitreya, Buddha of the Future, Distemper on cloth, Tibet
The Bodhisattva Maitreya, Buddha of the Future
Tibet
11th or early 12th century

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