Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara

Labelled ‘1100-1199, Nepal, Avalokiteshvara – Amoghapasha’, (gilt copper or copper alloy18th), private collection, photo on HAR

In his eight-arm form, Amoghapasha always has a tridandi (trident made of lotus stalks) in one of his left hands, and if another left hand holds a ritual water pot, as above, then the lower right hand makes the gesture of supreme generosity, the main one makes the fear-allaying gesture, the remaining right hands hold a rosary and a noose. The remaining left hands hold a manuscript and a lotus stalk or bud respectively. In the main page devoted to this bodhisattva on HAR , a distinction is made between Amoghapasha and Lokeshvara/Avalokiteshvara, yet the heading for this sculpture mentions both names, which is confusing. Whether or not Amoghapasha is a form of Lokeshvara, he certainly has a different iconography, and always holds a noose, which is his main attribute and distinguishes his six-arm form from the six-arm form of Avalokiteshvara, for instance. His most common forms have one head and six or eight arms but he may have twelve, and even up to twenty according to Alice Getty.

17th century, Nepal, Amogapasa, copper alloy with remains of gilding, 15 cm, private collection, Asian Art A142AS lot 126,22nd September 2007, Koller

17th-18th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, gilt bronze, 22 cm, private collection, European and Asian Art lot 280, 6th June 2023, Loeckx.

Undated, Nepal, Amoghapasha, stone, 65 cm, photo by Sunil Dongol, 2014, at Svayambhu (Nepal).

Undated, Nepal, Amoghapasha, stone, 55 cm, photo by Sunil Dongol, 2015, Chhusya Bahal, Kathmandu (Nepal).

18th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, copper alloy, 17,5 cm, private collection, Asian Art Auction W249AS lot 1007, 6th June 2016, Koller

Late works don’t always follow the standard iconography, as is the case with this eight-arm Amoghapasha whose tridandi is in one of his right hands (which normally corresponds to the six-arm form).

Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara (10)

17th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt bronze with pigment, 19 cm, inventory nº y-647 at the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg (Russia).

A rare composition depicting Amoghapasha – worshipped mainly in Nepal – with two attendants (one of them is Hayagriva, with red hair topped with a horse’s head and his left hand on his hip). His main attribute is a lasso or a noose, and in his eight-arm form he always holds a tridandi (a trident made of lotus stalks) in one of his left hands. The other attributes on that side are a book, a lotus, a ritual water pot. His upper right hand clutches a rosary, the lower one makes the gesture of generosity, the main one displays the fear-allaying gesture.

14th-15th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, gilt bronze with stone inlay, photo on wikimedia , at the Patan Museum (Nepal).

A few attributes are missing on this one but the hand position is the same. He has an antelope skin knotted around his waist, another animal skin over his left shoulder, and an effigy of Amitabha on his head.

17th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, gilt copper, 27,3 cm, private collection, Asian Decorative Arts lot 9001, 20th December 2016, Bonhams (San Francisco).

17th-18th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Avalokiteshvara, gilt bronze with stones and pigment, 42 cm, inventory nº y-792 at the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg (Russia).

A rare example of the four-arm form, holding a vajra sceptre and an elephant goad (right hands), a flower and a lasso (left hands). He wears a Chinese-style silk scarf with serpentine ends, a thin sash knotted across his chest, and a thicker one worn like an apron over his skirt-like lower garment.

Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara

17th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, wood with polychromy, 142 cm, photo Thierry Ollivier on Images d’Art, nº MA3343 at the Musée Guimet in Paris (France).

Apart from a six-arm Amoghapasha at the Smithsonian Institution (Washington DC), most wooden statues of this deity have lost some or all their arms. The above wears a five-leaf crown with an effigy of Amitabha at the front, princely jewellery including matching armbands and shin ornaments, a colourful dhoti held in place with a floral belt and a sash worn like an apron. One of the implements in his hands would have been a noose (pasha in sanskrit).

Undated (late Malla period?), Nepal, Amoghapasha, gilt copper alloy, 20,6 cm, private collection, Asian Art lot 172, 14th October 2021, Freeman’s.

The eight-arm form always includes a tridandi (a lotus stalk trident, missing here), usually in one of his left hands. When the main right hand makes the fear-allying gesture, the lower right hand makes the boon-granting gesture, the other two hold a rosary and a noose, the remaining left hands hold a manuscript, a lotus, a water pot (not always in that order).

15th-16th century, Nepal, Lokesvara, bronze, 16 cm, nº 60.1385 at the National Museum in New Delhi (India).

879-1200 (Transitional Period), Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, stone, at the Yangal Tole in Kathmandu City, photo nº 19422 on Huntington Archive

A similar iconography, with rosary and tridandi in the right hands, book, noose, lotus, and water pot in the left ones.

Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara (8)

16th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt bronze, photo on wisdomlib, at the National Museum of Nepal in Kathmandu.It is most unusual to see this peaceful bodhisattva with a tiger skin knotted around his waist. He also has an antelope skin over his left shoulder and an effigy of Amitabha on his head (both associated with Avalokiteshvara  – who doesn’t have a one-head and eight-arm form – and Amoghapasha). When the main right hand displays the fear-allaying gesture, one of is hands, usually a left one, always holds a tridandi (a trident made of lotus stalks), the stem of which shows in one his right hands in this case. The attribute missing from his left hand would have been a noose. The other left hands hold a book, a lotus, a ritual water pot. His upper right hand would have held a rosary, the lower one makes the gesture of supreme generosity.

Undated (Malla period), Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt copper, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s.

The same form, with a noose in one his right hands, a book, what should be a tridandi but looks rather like hook, and a water pot in his left hands.

16th-17th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt bronze, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s, Paris.

Complete with rosary, noose, book, tridandi, lotus, and water pot.

Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara (7)

The iconography for Amoghapasha, who is worshipped mainly in Nepal, is one head and 2, 4, 6, 8, or 12 hands  (even 20 according to Alice Getty) and his main attribute is the noose (pasha). His relationship with Avalokiteshvara is not clear, as explained on HAR (yet the first two items below are labelled ‘Avalokiteshvara – Amoghapasha’ on the same website, which adds to the confusion).

14th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, metal (copper or copper alloy), private collection, photo on Himalayan Art Resources .

A rare twelve-arm bodhisattva with the effigy of a standing figure at the front of his chignon. His main right hand is in the fear-allaying gesture, the left one holds the stem of an open lotus; his upper right hand is held palm out by his ear, the left one holds a book/manuscript. The remaining left hands hold a fruit?, two water pots, a pearl. The remaining right hands hold flames?, a large flower, two of them are in the gesture of supreme generosity. The noose is missing.

14th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, gilt metal (copper or copper alloy), private collection, photo on HAR .

This one has an effigy of Amitabha in his headdress. His main hands and the upper ones are as before, the remaining left hands hold a fruit, two ritual water pots (kundika), a pearl (between the ring finger and the thumb), the stem of a lotus now lost. The remaining right hands hold flames, raining jewels, two of them express supreme generosity. The noose is missing.

14th-15th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt copper, private collection, photo on Christie’s .

The eight-arm form always includes a trident made of lotus stalks (tridandi) in one of his left hands. When his main right hand makes the fear-allaying gesture, the remaining right hands hold a rosary and a noose, the lower one is in the gesture of supreme generosity, the remaining left hands hold a book and a water pot.

15th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, painted wood, photo and close up on the website of the Art Institute of Chicago (USA). Update 25/08/23: this statue was stolen from a monastery in Patan, according to a post on Lost Arts of Nepal dated 30th July 2023

The minute effigy of Amitabha at the base of the central leaf on his crown and the fact that he once had eight arms indicate that this Nepalese sculpture depicts Amoghapasha Lokeshvara.

Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara (6)

16th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt bronze, private collection, photo on Christie’s  

Amoghapasha with one head and eight arms, his main right hand in the fear-allaying gesture, the next one down in the gesture of supreme generosity, the remaining right hands holding a rosary and a noose now lost. On the other side he holds a book, and a lotus, the trident and the water pot are missing.

14th-15th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt bronze, private collection, Chinese Art lot 637, 31st May 2018, Sotheby’s (Hong Kong).

The eight-hand form normally includes a tridandi (a trident made of lotus stalks) in one of his left hands. On this variant, he holds a book, a lotus, a flaming jewel? (not associated with him) and a water pot in his left hands; his main attribute, the noose, is in his upper right hand, followed by a small object resembling a conch, a (missing) tridandi and a lotus bud.

14th-15th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt bronze with stone inlay, private collection, sale 17719, lot 187, Christie’s (Paris).

14th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, bronze, private collection, photo on , Polyauction lot 3890.

Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara (5)

Circa 17th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, gilt copper, private collection, photo on Castor Hara

Amoghapasha in his one-head and eight-hand form, holding from top to bottom a book, a noose (pasha), a lotus bud, and a ritual water pot in his left hands, a (missing) rosary, a trident made of three lotus stalks in two of his right hands, the others held in gestures symbolising reassurance and generosity.

17th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, gilt bronze, private collection, photo on Christie’s.

A simpler form with six hands, holding a trident, a noose, a water pot in his left hands, a rosary and a missing object which could be a fly whisk or a lotus in the others, the main right hand doing the fear-allaying gesture.

16th century (1554), Nepal, Amoghapasha, gilt copper alloy, private collection, photo on Bonhams.

Amoghapasha with attendants, kinnaras and buddha Amitabha at the top of the arch.

17th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, wood, photo by Marie-Catherine Daffos for aaoarts.com aaoarts .

Apart from the popular eight-arm form, there is a one-head and 4, 6 or 12 hands, although Alice Getty mentions one with 20 hands, and also a three-head form with 2,4, 6 or 12 hands. In all cases there is a noose (pasha) in one of his hands, except in the rare one-head and two-hand form where he does a gesture specific to him. His morphology is different from Avalokiteshvara’s, of which he is generally regarded as an aspect. On the Himalayan Art Resources website, Jeff Watts explains why he considers Amoghapasha to be a separate entity HAR, yet on the Avalokiteshvara main page he is listed as an aspect of Avalokiteshvara on Himalayan Art Resources.

Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara (4)

Circa 1550, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt copper alloy, at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena (USA).

Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, with one head and eight hands, his legs rather short and stiff, adorned with heavy jewellery, a sacred thread, ornate belt and sash, holds in his left hands a manuscript, a lotus flower, and a water pot, and  in one of his right hands a trident (normally on the left-hand side on the 8-arm Nepalese version), the other two doing the abhaya and the varada mudras. The noose and rosary are missing.

16th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, gilt bronze, 13,7 cm, at the British Museum in London (UK).

Here he has the book, the trident, the lotus flower, and the water pot in his left hands, the (broken) rosary and the noose in two of his right hands, the others displaying the fear-allaying and supreme generosity gestures. The flat round design on his jewellery and belt is typical of the late Malla period, as are the rigid legs and squarish feet.

17th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt copper, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s

On this later work, we can see how the tridandi or trident is made of lotus buds. He wears an ornate crown with a large floral motif on each panel, matching bows, earrings, necklace and armbands, a beaded sacred thread, bangles – no anklets. The pointed ends of his belt and sash are decorated with a  jewel, the palm of two of his hands is incised with a diamond, one of them with a flower inside.

17th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt copper alloy, private collection, Indian and Southeast Asian Art lot 427, 22nd March 2011,  Christie’s.

A similar sculpture, with two kneeling figures (worshippers), one of them holding a sprouting plant (probably a lotus) attached to the base in his right hand and a lotus flower in the other.

17th-18th century, Nepal, Avalokiteshvara, gilt bronze, 14,8 cm, at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (USA).

Another example with large floral ornaments and a jewel at the end of  the belt and the tips of the sash.

Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara (3)

Undated, circa 15th century?, Amoghapasha, gilt metal, private collection, nº 12948 Himalayan Art Resources. Update 20/06/22: 16th century, gilt copper, on Sotheby’s

On this version of his one-head and eight-hand form, the deity holds a manuscript, a trident, a vajra sceptre, and a water pot in his left hands. There is a rosary and a noose (pasha) in his upper right hands, the remaining two make the abhaya and the varada mudra. He wears a five-leaf crown, bodhisattva jewellery, a long dhoti pleated at the front, and a broad sash placed low down.

15th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha, copper, 14,6 cm, private collection, photo on Kapoor Galleries

The absence of profuse gilding and stone inlay situates this sculpture towards the 14th century. He has a manuscript, a lotus-stalk trident, possibly a lotus, and a vajra sceptre in his left hands, same as before with the right hands. The dhoti is abundantly pleated on the sides and at the front, with the lower extremities forming three sharp points at ankle level.

15th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt copper alloy and gemstones, private collection, auction A138AS lot 109, 23rd September 2006, Koller.

This gilt and stone-inlaid work portrays him with his head slightly tilted, his hair pulled into a tall chignon topped with a finial, wearing a dhoti with a stone-inlaid hem, probably holding the same (missing) attributes on the right. His top left hand holds a manuscript, the lower ones hold a bow and a ritual water pot. In his eight-hand form Amoghapasha Lokeshvara usually holds a tridandi (a trident made of three lotus stalks) in his left hand. It is therefore likely to be the missing object on that side.

15th or 16th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, gilt bronze and stones, 16,8 cm, private collection, photo on published on Pundole’s

This is the one-head and six-hand form, with a manuscript, possibly a vajra sceptre, a water pot in his left hands, a noose and a (missing) rosary in his right hands, the lower one extended in the varada mudra.

Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara (2)

14th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, polychrome wood, 162,5 cm, at the Arthur M Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.

This nearly life-size sculpture depicts Amoghapasha Lokeshvara in his one-head eight-hand form (2 arms missing), standing on a small single-lotus pedestal, wearing a five-leaf crown with bows and foliate ribbons, some jewellery, and a lower garment knotted on each side of the waist, held in place with a belt and decorated with a broad sash placed low down the hips. There is an oblong urna on his forehead and lotus bud finial on his tall chignon. The attributes are missing from his hands, the lower right hand makes the varada mudra (supreme generosity).

14th-15th century, Nepal, probably Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, wood with traces of gesso and colour, 175 cm, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (USA).

This life-size one-head and eight-arm version, with most arms broken, is one of a series that depict him unadorned, with an effigy of Amitabha in his chignon, standing on a small single-lotus pedestal. The above wears a transparent dhoti, of which we only see the waistband marked with a short line below the navel. His lower right hand is extended palm out in the varada mudra and holds a (broken) water pot , the middle finger on the other side points to the ground, the second hand on the right was held out in the abhaya mudra (fear-allaying gesture), as below.

Circa 15th century or earlier, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, wood with traces of paint, 168,91 cm, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (USA).

On this similar version the lower garment is decorated with broad bands of a different colour. The lower hands make the same gestures as before.

15th century, Nepal, Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, polychrome wood, 171,5 cm private collection, published by Carlton Rochell

This is a one-head and four-hand version, with a tiger skin dhoti around his waist and a small object in the palm of his right hand.