Vajrapani, a destroyer of obstacles, embraces his consort in the yab-yum, or “father-mother” posture. They trample two prone figures that represent ignorance. As the holder of the thunderbolt, or vajra, Vajrapani symbolizes the power of compassion and the concentrated power of all buddhas combined.
Details
- Title: Vajrapani with Consort
- Date: 16th century
- Medium: Bronze and copper alloy with pigment
- Dimensions: 7 x 6-5/8 in. (17.8 x 16.8 cm)
- Credit Line: Norton Simon Art Foundation
- Accession Number: M.1977.22.1.S
- Copyright: © Norton Simon Art Foundation
Object Information
Divine Demons: Wrathful Deities of Buddhist Art
- Norton Simon Museum, 2009-08-14 to 2010-03-08
- Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 2: Art from the Himalayas & China, 2003, no. 105 p. 156
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 1446 p. 408
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