Jambhala
late 13th century
Asia: China, Tibet
On View

Jambhala is the Buddhist god of wealth. Befitting his exalted position, he is richly adorned with a profusion of jewelry, and is rather rotund. His bulging eyes suggest that he is guarding his treasures and he squeezes the neck of a mongoose with his left hand, who spits forth a stream of gems. He sits in a relaxed posture upon a lotus pedestal and is draped with a garland of blue lotuses. In the Tibetan pantheon, Jambhala is also regarded as a guardian of the Buddhist faith.

Details

  • Title: Jambhala
  • Date: late 13th century
  • Medium: Brass and gilt copper with semiprecious stones and pigment
  • Dimensions: 8-1/4 x 6 x 5 in. (21 x 15.2 x 12.7 cm)
  • Credit Line: Norton Simon Art Foundation
  • Accession Number: M.1975.14.06.S
  • Copyright: © Norton Simon Art Foundation

Object Information

Painting and Sculpture from Nepal, Tibet and Northwest India

  • Norton Simon Museum, 1994-09-22 to 1997-06-01
  • Fisher, Robert E., Asian Art: Selections from the Norton Simon Museum, fig. 14 p. 58
  • Schroeder, Ulrich von, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, no. 33E pp. 168, 178-179
  • Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 2: Art from the Himalayas & China, 2003, no. 91 pp. 20, 139-140, 145
  • Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 1118 p. 373
  • Bonhams, The Path of Compassion: Masterpieces of Buddhist Sculpture, 2019, p. 44 (ill.)
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