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Brahmarupa Mahakala

17th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 253
Brahmarupa, a benign form of the wrathful deity Mahakala, is shown as a bearded nomadic ascetic, sitting on a corpse, wearing a bone apron and holding a thighbone trumpet and a skull cup. A protector of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, he is credited with introducing the Hevajra Tantra, an important Vajrayana text, to the Sakya hierarchs.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Brahmarupa Mahakala
  • Date: 17th century
  • Culture: Tibet
  • Medium: Brass
  • Dimensions: H. 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm); W. 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm); D. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2007
  • Object Number: 2007.1
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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