Kashmir, female entities (3)

Circa 11th century, Kashmir (previously labelled ‘Western Himalayas’, Kurukulla (or Janguli?), copper alloy, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s.

Kurukulla, a red dakini and meditational deity, normally has one head with 2, 4, or 8 arms and is usually depicted in a standing pose. The above has three heads and six arms, like a Kashmiri Janguli (published by Rossi & Rossi) seen in a previous post. Like her, she holds a bow, an arrow, a lotus, a vajra sceptre, and makes the fear-allaying gesture with her lower right hand, but instead of a sword the remaining hand appears to be holding a folded lasso – associated both with Janguli and Kurukulla. The arch behind her is engraved with U-shaped flames often seen on back plates attributed to Jammu and Kashmir. She wears a Himachal Pradesh-style scarf and a crown with tall triangular leaves typical of Ladakh.

Kashmir, Tara

9th-10th century, Kashmir, Tara, copper alloy with silver-inlaid eyes, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s .

We had not yet seen a Kashmiri two-arm Tara in a standing posture. The above holds the stem of a large lotus in her left hand and a rosary in the other. Like a four-arm Tara seen in a previous post, she wears a tight-fitting tunic with an inverted U-shape hem that shows her cruciform navel, a thin scarf, a long lower garment held in place with a beaded belt with pendants. She is adorned with a three-leaf crown with rosettes and long ribbons that fall over her shoulders, large floral earrings, plain bangles and armlets, a beaded necklace with pendants that matches her belt. The beads that go across her left thigh and the floral garland that goes across her knees seem to come from nowhere…

… as most of the back is unfinished. The lug indicates that the figure was connected to a double mandorla (as would be expected).

10th-11th century, Kashmir, Tara, bronze with silver-inlaid eyes, private collection, photo on Christie’s .

Green Tara seated on a lotus atop a stepped plinth, her right foot placed on a large lotus blossom, her right hand in the gesture of supreme generosity, the other holding a large open lotus. She wears the same sort of jewellery as the aforesaid four-arm standing Tara, i.e. large hoops, a strand of beads, a long necklace with a pendant, two sets of bracelets, one set of anklets.

Kashmir, female entities (2)

11th century, Kashmir artist in Western Tibet, (Vajra)mala, brass with cold gold and pigments, photo and details in an article by Yannick Laurent , Lima Lakhang, Lhasa (Tibet).

We saw a sculpture of Vajradhvaja (see above link) in a  similar style -including the sacred cord worn on the left side of the torso and not visible on the other side. However, in this case both knees touch the base, there is no silver or copper inlay, and the decoration on the garment is different. Vajramala is one of the offering goddesses in the Vajradhatu mandala. She holds a garland (missing here) in both hands.

10th century, India (Kashmir), Arya Janguli, brass, private collection, photo by Rossi & Rossi .

Janguli in her three-head (each with three silver-inlaid eyes) and six-arm form, holding an arrow and a bow in her upper hands, a vajra sceptre and a large flower in her middle hands. The main right hand is in the gesture of reassurance, the left one makes a threatening gesture usually associated with a noose (tarjani mudra). She sits, with her legs unlocked, on a lotus atop a throne supported by garudas. There is a snake, her main attribute, on each side of the seat.

10th or 11th century, Kashmir, Janguli, brass with cold gold and blue pigment, photo after Ulrich von Schroeder in a book by Miranda Shaw and on Tsemrinpoche , at the Lima Lakhang in the Potala (Tibet).

A similar depiction, with the main lower hand in the gesture of supreme generosity.

Circa 8th-9th century, Kashmir, Tara, copper alloy with silver and copper inlay, according to David Weldon , 10th century, Chamba, according to P. Pal in the Journal of the Royal Society of Arts October 1973, p. 7744, Fig. 14.

This four-arm form of Tara appears to be holding a hook and a sheathed lasso in her upper hands. She has the stem of a lotus in the lower left one and her right hand makes the gesture of supreme generosity. At her feet, a female figure holds a garland in her left hand.

Kashmir, female entities

Circa 11th century, Kashmir, female deity (labelled ‘Na Ga Raja’), bronze, private collection, photo on Nagel 

This is the third work of this type we see. The other two depict Vajradharma Lokeshvara (labelled ‘Western Tibet’ on Christie’s ) and a male deity with a lasso (labelled ‘Kashmir’ on Christie’s). This time the throne is supported by a garuda and there was very probably a stupa at the top of the mandorla. An inscription on the base reads ‘lha na ga ra’. (If she is a naga deity, what looks like a nimbus may be a naga hood?). She holds a conch shell in her left hand.

Prajnaparamita in her four-arm form, holding a vajra sceptre and a manuscript in her upper hands, the lower right hand does the gesture of supreme generosity, the other holds the stem of a lotus.

11th century, Kashmir, female aspect of Vajrasattva, silver with gold inlay, private collection, photo on Tenzing Asian Art

Likely to be from the same workshop as a silver Vajraraksha and a silver Amoghasiddhi attributed to Western Tibet (see here ) this female entity looks like Vajralasya, one of the offering goddesses from the Vairocana mandala (seen at Tabo, for instance), whose main attribute is a five-prong vajra sceptre.

12th-13th century, Kashmir, Prajnaparamita, bronze, private collection, published on  Christian Luczanits

Prajnaparamita in a rare six-hand form, the main hands making the ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘ gesture, the upper hands holding a rosary and what the author identifies as a triple gem (triratna). The lower right hand makes the gesture of supreme generosity, the left one holds a lotus that supports her main attribute, a manuscript. Her eyes are inlaid with silver and the oblong urna on her forehead with copper. The lotus base with overlapping hoof-shaped petals is supported by a throne made of scrolling vines and flowers. The two-piece mandorla is made of plain metal with curly flames supporting a gem all along the edge. We saw a similar one on a sculpture published by the same author in the same article, Fig. 16.

Kashmir, Prajnaparamita (2)

9th-10th century, Kashmir, Prajnaparamita, brass with silver inlay, at the British Museum in London (UK).

Prajnaparamita is seated on a throne supported by two lions and a yaksha, a standing figure (attendant or donor) attached to the base, her hands held in the dharmacakra mudra. The lotuses on each side of her support the prajnaparamita sutra (which she embodies) to her left and another object on the other side, possibly a  shell. She is adorned with a tall three-leaf crown, heavy jewellery, a celestial scarf. The flaming halo is topped with a (broken) finial and banners.

Kashmir, Green Tara (2)

8th century, Kashmir (or later revival?), Tara, brass, at the Royal Ontario Museum (Canada).

Tara is seated with one foot resting on a large lotus flower, on a double-lotus base and plain plinth. She has a broad forehead and soft facial features, perfect body proportions and a diamond-shaped navel typical of Kashmiri sculptures. She holds the stem of Indian Pala-style lotus flowers and buds in each hand. There is an effigy of Akshobhya in her headdress.  She is adorned with a necklace, a sacred cord, a flat, pleated celestial scarf. Her calf-length dhoti is held in place with a beaded belt whose (lotus) clasp matches the pendant on her necklace. Her facial features depart from Kashmiri standards.

Kashmir, Green Tara

11th century, Kashmir, Tara, brass with silver-inlaid eyes, photo on Fondation Alain Bordier , at the Tibet Museum in Gruyères (Switerland).

This sculpture of Green Tara is immediately recognisable as the work of a Kashmiri artist thanks to a series of elements: the shape of the plinth, with a kneeling character, probably the donor, at the base. The lotus pedestal and cushion. The facial features, especially the wide open silver-inlaid almond shaped eyes. The tight-fitting garment with the lower part that reveals a lobed abdomen. All of this, in conjunction with the use of brass and silver-inlaid eyes and the shape of the mandorla behind her. This particular sculpture has a striking diamond-shape silver-inlaid urna and shows traces of cold gold on her face and blue pigment on her hair, indicating worship in Tibet at some stage.

On paintings Tara can be green or white, sometimes red or yellow (wrathful form). With sculptures, the green form of Tara sits with one leg down and the other folded.