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Lot Essay
Vajrabhairava, one of the principal meditational deities of Tibetan Buddhism, is the ferocious, thirty-four-armed manifestation of Manjushri, the God of Wisdom. Like Yamantaka, he is a destroyer of death itself. His depictions vary from the highly complex with multiple heads and arms to the very concise with a single face and two arms. The present work shows him in embrace with Vajravetali, symbolizing the dualistic totality encompassing compassion (embodied by the male) and wisdom (associated with the female).
Vajrabhairava is an important deity in all sects of Tibetan Buddhism, but perhaps none more so than in the Gelug school. The founder of that tradition, Tsongkhapa, popularized the worship of Vajrabhairava in the 14th century, and also systemized his iconography; among other aspects, the arrangement of the additional faces in a circular manner around the back of the head became almost exclusively reserved for Gelugpa depictions of the deity. As this feature is present in the current work, one can ascertain that it was created according to Gelugpa principles. Within that tradition, Vajrabhairava is one of the principle meditation deities of the Anuttarayoga practice, alongside Guhyasamaja and Chakrasamvara.
The Gelugpa enjoyed increased importance amongst the emperors of the Ming dynasty, thanks in part to Shakya Yeshe’s prolonged presence in the capital; from the mid-17th century on, they were the dominant theocratic power in Tibet, and the sole represented Tibetan Buddhist institution in China. Tsongkhapa as well as the Chinese emperor were also considered manifestations of Manjushri, explaining in part his popularity within China and Gelug-Tibet. The Qing emperors maintained direct links with the dignitaries of the Gelug sect, including the Dalai and Panchen Lamas, and propagated this form of Buddhism within China itself, sponsoring the lavish construction of numerous temples in and around the capital of Beijing. In the 18th century, the Qianlong Emperor promoted himself as a manifestation of Manjushri as well, underlining his wisdom, compassion, and spiritual transcendence. Images of Vajrabhairava, therefore, carried both a religious and political weight, fulfilling their role within Gelug worship and practice, while simultaneously promoting the lineage of the Chinese Emperor.
For a slightly later example with nearly identical iconography, gifted to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art by Christian Humann, see P. Pal, Art of Tibet, 1983, p.105, pl.41 and pp.216-217, fig.S28.
Vajrabhairava is an important deity in all sects of Tibetan Buddhism, but perhaps none more so than in the Gelug school. The founder of that tradition, Tsongkhapa, popularized the worship of Vajrabhairava in the 14th century, and also systemized his iconography; among other aspects, the arrangement of the additional faces in a circular manner around the back of the head became almost exclusively reserved for Gelugpa depictions of the deity. As this feature is present in the current work, one can ascertain that it was created according to Gelugpa principles. Within that tradition, Vajrabhairava is one of the principle meditation deities of the Anuttarayoga practice, alongside Guhyasamaja and Chakrasamvara.
The Gelugpa enjoyed increased importance amongst the emperors of the Ming dynasty, thanks in part to Shakya Yeshe’s prolonged presence in the capital; from the mid-17th century on, they were the dominant theocratic power in Tibet, and the sole represented Tibetan Buddhist institution in China. Tsongkhapa as well as the Chinese emperor were also considered manifestations of Manjushri, explaining in part his popularity within China and Gelug-Tibet. The Qing emperors maintained direct links with the dignitaries of the Gelug sect, including the Dalai and Panchen Lamas, and propagated this form of Buddhism within China itself, sponsoring the lavish construction of numerous temples in and around the capital of Beijing. In the 18th century, the Qianlong Emperor promoted himself as a manifestation of Manjushri as well, underlining his wisdom, compassion, and spiritual transcendence. Images of Vajrabhairava, therefore, carried both a religious and political weight, fulfilling their role within Gelug worship and practice, while simultaneously promoting the lineage of the Chinese Emperor.
For a slightly later example with nearly identical iconography, gifted to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art by Christian Humann, see P. Pal, Art of Tibet, 1983, p.105, pl.41 and pp.216-217, fig.S28.