Tibet, Vairocana (20)

1150-1250 AD, Tibet, Buddha Vairocana, brass, 46 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, p. 1162 pl. 308A, at the rNam rgyal lha khang of the sNye thang (Nyethang) monastery, (Tibet).

While the other four direction buddhas always have their hands in the same position, there are various possibilities for Vairocana. This work depicts him with a buddha appearance and making the gesture of enlightenment (bodhyagri mudra) specific to him.

15th century, Tibet, Vairocana, bronze with stone inlay, 27,5 cm, private collection, Auction 19 lot 308, Hardt

In his one-head and two-arm form his hands may also display the ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘ gesture. The above, depicted in his sambhogayaka form (bodhisattva appearance) is seated on a lotus base with an unusually tall plinth, more often seen on much later works, and adorned with a singular celestial scarf, which appears to have one end flowing up and another dropping to his knees.

14th-15th century, Tibet, Vairocanabhisambhodi, brass, 47,4 cm, photo as before, p. 1158 pl. 306A, Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang inventory nº 1026, Lhasa (Tibet).

Rarely seen in sculpture, there is a form of Vairocana with the same iconography as Amitayus, i.e. with both hands in the gesture of meditation, but without the vase of longevity. We saw one on HAR and another from the Gyantse kumbum on Huntington Archive.

Circa 14th century, Tibet, Sarvavid Vairocana, brass, 32 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder as above, p. 1155 pl. 304D, at the Ngor E wam Monastery (Tibet).

Vairocana with four heads and two arms, his hands cupped in the gesture of meditation to support an eight-spoke wheel or an upright vajra sceptre, a form also known as Sarvavid Mahavairocana.

Tibet, Vairocana (19)

13th-14th century, Tibet, Tathagata Vairocana, bronze, 27 cm, Asian Art A207AS lot 102, 28th November 2023, Koller

14th century, Tibet, Vairocana, metal (brass with copper-inlaid hem and turquoise inlay), private collection, item nº 12374 on HAR

Vairocana, identified by his specific hand gesture (right hand around the raised left forefinger) is depicted in his sambhogakaya aspect, i.e. with the same princely appearance as a bodhisattva.

15th century, Tibet, Vairocana, bronze with cold gold, turquoise, and pigment, 21,6 cm, private collection, Auction 819 lot 40, 7th December 2023, Nagel

Sarvavid Mahavairocana has four heads and two arms, with both hands in the gesture of meditation to support an attribute  (eight-spoke wheel or upright vajra sceptre) now lost.

18th century, Qin dynasty, confession buddha (‘Tibet, Vairocana’ on HAR), gilt bronze and pigments, 14 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part IV, lot 35, Bonhams (Hong Kong).

Various figures may be depicted with their hands ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘, including one of the confession buddhas, and Vairocana with one head and two arms – in his princely or his buddha appearance. The shape of the shoulders and the folds of the garment on this statue are quite different from the  set of confession buddhas mentioned on Bonhams’ website. If it doesn’t belong to the set, it could represent Vairocana.

15th century (1430-1450), Central Tibet, Maitreya, gilt copper alloy with turquoise inlay, Sonam Gyaltsen or atelier, private collection.

We saw this image from Bonhams in the section on Maitreya (Tibet) but it is labelled ‘Vairocana’ on HAR . We will note that he doesn’t seem to have had any blue lilies attached to his arms (to support an attribute such as a ritual water pot, a wheel, or an ashoka branch that would identify him as Maitreya) and has no stupa in his headdress.

Pala India, Vairocana

11th century, Northeastern India, Vairocana (?), brass, 36,3 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 310 pl. 106 A, at the Khra ‘brug monastery, Yarlung Valley (Tibet).

A singular sculpture of Vairocana standing. He has a bodhisattva appearance (crown, full set of jewellery, lower garment, and scarf) and makes the gesture of enlightenment specific to him. According to the author, the monks at the monastery worship this statue as Avalokiteshvara in his khasarpana form, despite the absence of the usual attendants and the gesture not related to any form of Avalokiteshara. It is worth noting that the lotus base is on a stepped pedestal supported by lions, which are Vairocana’s mount.

There are some crested birds on the cross bar (either peacocks or the mythical hamsas).

We have seen another two statues of Vairocana standing, here  and here . 

Tibet, Vairocana (18)

14th century, Tibet, Vairocana, brass, photo on HAR, at the Museum der Kulturen in Basel (Switzerland).

We are lucky to have access to the Himalayan Art Resources website as the above museum only shows a couple of Buddhist statues on its own site!

Vairocana is depicted in his one-head and two-arm form, with a princely appearance, seated with his legs locked and his hands making the gesture of enlightenment specific to him, flanked by lotuses that reach up to his face.

15th-16th century, Tibet, Vairocana, gilt bronze, 14,5 cm, private collection, Fine Chinese Art lot 517, 10th March 2023, Galerie Zacke

The same form of Vairocana with a buddha appearance.

16th century, Tibet, Vairocana or Shakyamuni, copper alloy, 16,5 cm, private collection, Himalayan and Indian Art Online lot 819, 11th December 2022, Bonhams (Paris).

Given that this tathagata may also make the ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘ gesture with both hands, when the figure is out of context and has a buddha appearance it is impossible to distinguish him from the historical buddha.

Unlabelled (probably 15th century, Tibet, Vairocana?, painted clay on a wooden armature), photo on Alex B , at the Gyantse stupa (Tibet).

Vairocana has a white body on paintings. The four-head and two-arm form usually has both hands in the gesture of meditation to support an eight-spoke wheel (see below for illustration), but we have seen various Tibetan examples with the hands making the gesture of enlightenment.

(labelled ’10th century, Central Asia, Amitabha’), Vairocana, brass, photo by Daderot on wikimedia , exhibited at the Fitchburg Art Museum.

Tibet, Vairocana – Imperial Period

Circa 9th century, Tibet, Vairocana, gilt copper alloy, private collection, photo on HAR(where it is dated 11th century).

We saw this elegant buddha some time ago, and it was not clear why he should be identified as Vairocana (rather than Amitayus) since it is usually the four-headed form of Vairocana who makes the gesture of meditation with both hands (to hold a visvajra or a wheel). In Buddhism between Tibet and China edited by Matthew T. Kapstein (Wisdom Publications, Boston, p. 49, Fig. 7), this work appears next to a painting of a similar buddha found at a one of the cave temples built at Yulin, in the Dunhuang region of China, during Tibetan rule. The buddha painted in the cave is thought to be Vairocana because he is accompanied by bodhisattvas and other figures that match the description of a temple mentioned in The Old Book of Tang, in which the central deity is Vairocana. This still doesn’t explain why the above sculpture represents Vairocana, unless it was part of a similar set…  He wears a singular crown with a crescent moon and leaf design, side bows and rosettes, discreet princely jewellery, an incised sash and a sacred cord. His striped ankle-length dhoti is also decorated with an incised pattern.

Tibet, Vairocana (17)

15th century, Tibet, Vairocana, bronze with stones, 11 cm, private collection, photo on Nagel , lot 10.

Always seated with his legs locked and both hands in the gesture of meditation to support an eight-spoke wheel or an upright vajra sceptre, Sarvavid Mahavairocana has the aspect of a bodhisattva with four heads.

13th-14th century, Tibet, Vairocana, gilt metal?, photo on the Huntington Archive , at the Iwang monastery, Kangmar, Shigatse (Tibet).

In his one-head form Vairocana may be standing or seated and have a princely appearance or a buddha appearance (as on this Central Asian style image).

15th century, Tibet, Vairocana, gilt copper, photo on the Huntington Archive , Vairocana temple, Palkhor Chode Buddhist monastery complex, Gyantse (Tibet).

His hands normally make a gesture specific to him or the ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘ gesture. On this image he has both hands in the meditation gesture. A photo of the site is shown here

Tibet, Vairocana (16)

17th century, Tibet, Sarvavid Vairocana, gilt copper alloy with stone inlay and pigments, private collection, Asian Art lot 118, 2nd November 2011, Koller.

Vairocana with four heads and two hands, both in the gesture of meditation to hold an upright vajra sceptre or a dharma wheel, as above, a form known as sarvavid mahavairocana.

14th century, Tibet, Vairocana, metal (brass with silver, copper, and turquoise inlay), private collection, photo on HAR

In his sambhogakaya form (with a princely appearance), with one head and two hands, making a gesture specific to him.

16th century, Tibet, Vairocana, gilt bronze with turquoise inlay and pigments, private collection, Art d’Asie lot 126, 8th December 2021, Christie’s, Paris.

Tibet, Vairocana (15)

13th-14th century, Tibet, Vairocana, bronze, private collection, photo on buddhist-art.

Depicted in his bodhisattva appearance, Vairocana, whose function is to protect against delusion, is making the gesture of supreme enlightenment at heart level. 

14th century, Tibet, Densatil, Vairocana, gilt copper alloy, photo from an article on Densatil by Jean-Luc Estournel (Fig. 357), at the Capital Museum in Beijing (China).

 

14th century (circa 1370) , Tibet, Densatil, Vairocana, gilt copper alloy, photo here from the same article by JL Estournel (Fig. 111), at the Capital Museum in Beijing (China).

14th century (circa 1360), Tibet, Densatil, Vairocana, gilt copper repoussé, photo here from the same article by JL Estournel (Fig. 352).

This embossed petal is richly decorated with Vairocana in his four-head form (the fourth is not visible), seated on a lotus throne supported by two lions and Kirtimukha, flanked by two standing attendants. They are surrounded by scrolling lotuses and the back of his throne features sharabhas, makaras, a garuda, and two seated figures who look like emanations of himself. He displays the gesture of enlightenment specific to him but usually associated with the one-head form, or the 4-head and 8-arm form.

Tibet, Vairocana – bodhisattva appearance (5)

Vairocana was already worshipped in the Himalayas around the 7th century and he was the main wisdom buddha until around the 10th century approximately (as we have seen with the Tabo monastery, for instance). He expresses the full understanding of truth and reality and protects against delusion and ignorance.

14th century, Tibet, tathagata Vairocana, brass with copper inlay, cold gold and pigment, private collection, photo on Koller

He often makes a gesture specific to him, enclosing the raised forefinger of his left hand in his right hand. The above sports a spectacular crown with large bows and with rods between the foliate panels; his tall Pala-style chignon is topped with the flame of enlightenment.

14th century, Tibet, Vairocana, bronze (copper alloy), private collection, photo by Christie’s, sale 19974 lot 62, Paris.

Undated, Tibet, Vairocana, gilt copper repoussé?, item IM.28-1910 at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (UK).

He sometimes makes the ‘turning the wheel of dharma‘ gesture.

Tibet, Vairocana (14)

14th century, Tibet, Vairocana (labelled Amitabha/Amitayus), copper alloy with stones, private collection, photo on Gazette Drouot .

Vairocana in his bodhisattva appearance, identified by the gesture of enlightenment specific to him (one of his forefingers, usually the left one, is partly or totally covered by the closed fist of the opposite hand).

15th-16th century, Tibet, Vairocana, copper alloy with (missing) stones, private collection, photo on Bonhams, San Francisco.

Alternatively he makes the dharmacakra mudra or ‘turning the wheel of law’ gesture. The above has a half-vajra finial on his chignon.

14th century, Tibet?, Vairocana, bronze (copper alloy), private collection, photo on Kyoto Zuiryu

15th century, Tibet?, Vairocana, copper alloy (with stone inlay), private collection, photo on Mandarin

16th century, Tibet or China?, Vairocana, gilt bronze (with pigment), private collection, photo on Wichita.

Vairocana’s main attribute is an eight-spoke wheel but it is unusual for the one-head form to hold one.

18th-19th century, Tibet, buddha, possibly Vairocana, gilt copper alloy, private collection, photo on Bonhams, San Francisco

In his buddha appearance, making the same gesture but with his hands further apart.