Tibet, Wrathful Vajrapani (26)

14th-15th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, stone with traces of gilding and pigment, 12 cm, private collection, 2023 Aug-Sep Highlights lot 11, Hollywood Galleries

Chanda Vajrapani brandishing a vajra sceptre in his right hand and displaying a wrathful gesture in the other (tarjani mudra). He normally has a lasso wound around his left forefinger and stands on a single victim lying on a bed of snakes. The above has two prostrate figures under his feet. He wears a tiger skin loin cloth and is adorned with a five-skull crown, a garland of severed heads, and snakes.

It is unusual for him to have an elephant hide on his back.

Circa 13th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, clay tsa-tsa, 8 cm, private collection, Indian and Himalayan Art lot 858, 21st March 2024, Sotheby’s

The style of this votive stele is very similar to a 13th century Vajrapani tsa-tsa seen on Bonhams and another on Castor-Hara , dated 14th-15th century.

18th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, wood with paint, 35 cm, private collection, International Fine Art Auction lot 27, 30th September 2023, Hardt

Nilambadhara Vajrapani holds a vajra bell in his left hand. According to textual sources he wears eight snake ornaments but no skull-crown or garland of severed heads. The above wears both and also has a garland of skulls around his neck. He wears the hide of a tiger or leopard on his back as well as a tiger skin dhoti, with the tail at the front in the Sino-Tibetan fashion.

Tibet, Wrathful Vajrapani (25)

12th-14th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, clay, 6,8 cm, accession nº 2004.85 at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (Australia).

Chanda Vajrapani with the appearance of a yaksha, brandishing a vajra sceptre in his right hand and holding a lasso in the other. The standard victims atop a bed of snakes are not represented on the lotus base.

18th century, Nepal (Tibet on har), Vajrapani, gilt bronze with silver-inlaid eyes, 15,6 cm, private collection, Arts of Asia Online lot 22, 28th September 2023, Christie’s

This one stands with his legs wide apart on a bed of twisted snakes. He is adorned with snakes and bone jewellery and has the effigy of a buddha, probably Akshobhya, between his low tiara and his flaming hair. We have seen various brass sculptures in this unusual style, for instance on Christie’s, and Michaans, labelled ‘Tibet, 16th century, ‘.

17th-18th century, Sino-Tibetan, Vajrapani, bronze with cold gold and polychromy, 15 cm, Asian Arts lot 228, 13th March 2021, Rob Michiels

18th-19th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, copper (with silver-inlaid eyes?), 19,4 cm, photo here, accession nº MH1903.2.J.G. at the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum in Massachussetts (USA).

A curious example standing on nagas with their head turned towards the back.

14th or 15th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, bronze or copper, 12,5 cm, private collection, photo on mutualart

Nilambadhara Vajrapani holds a bell in his left hand and stands either on two victims or on the elephant-headed demon Bhut Aparajita, as above. According to textual sources he doesn’t wear a skull-crown but we have come across a few exceptions.

Tibet, Wrathful Vajrapani (24)

12th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, bronze and pigment, 11,7 cm, private collection, Auction 819 lot 4, 7th December 2023, Nagel

Dressed in a tight-fitting tiger skin loin cloth and adorned with snakes, wrathful (khroda) Vajrapani in his chanda form wields his vajra sceptre in the right hand and makes a pointing gesture with the other. According to textual sources, he normally has a noose wound twice around the forefinger and stands on a victim lying on a bed of snakes, not featured here.

13th century, Tibet, Krodha Vajrapani, bronze with cold gold and pigment, 11,5 cm, private collection, Asian Art lot 1147, 30th November 2023, Sotheby’s

Unlabelled (circa 16th century?, Tibet?, gilt copper alloy?), photo on HAR, (nowhere to be seen on Christie’s – Amsterdam).

He sometimes has a small garuda under him.

16th century, Tibet, Krodha Vajrapani, (copper alloy with traces of pigment in the hair), private collection, photo on HAR

This one has a human hide tied around his neck (and what looks like the head of a lion under his right arm??).

17th century, (Tibet?), Vajrapani, bronze, 31 cm, Northern Himalayan Section photo 66 on wisdomlib, at the National Museum of Nepal.

16th century, Tibet, Krodha Vajrapani, gilt metal (with turquoise inlay and pigment), on a pedestal that does not belong, private collection, photo on Himalayan Art Resources

In his nilambadhara (or nilambara) form he holds a bell in his left hand and stands either on the elephant-headed demon Bhut Aparajita lying on a bed of snakes or on two victims.

Tibet, wrathful Vajrapani (23)

13th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, terracotta, size not specified, private collection, the Triay Collection of Himalayan Art lot 406, 10th December 2022, Bonhams (Paris).

The raised forefinger of his left hand (tarjani mudra) held before his chest identifies this figure as chanda Vajrapani, who wields a vajra sceptre in his right hand and normally has a lasso in the other. He is adorned with snakes, never has a garland of severed heads, and often stands on a bed of snakes or on a victim lying on a bed of snakes.

14th-15th century, Tibet or Nepal, Krodha Vajrapani, gilt copper alloy, 9,5 cm, private collection, Asian Art at Bruun Rasmussen lot 87, 29th November 2022, Bonhams (Copenhagen).

Another common two-arm form of wrathful (khroda) Vajrapani, known as nilambadhara, holds an upturned vajra bell in his left hand and crushes Ganapati or stands on two victims. The above appears to be a mixture of the two. He is adorned with a skull crown, a garland of skulls, bone jewellery, and snakes. There is a small garuda at the front of the lotus pedestal.

18th-19th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, gilt copper alloy, 23 cm, private collection, Asian Art A203AS lot 119, 29th November 2022, Koller.

The eight snake ornaments, the absence of a garland of severed heads, and the position of his left hand suggest that this figure also held a bell.

Tibet, Wrathful Vajrapani (22)

13th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, gilt copper alloy with stone inlay and pigment, 26 cm, private collection, Indian and Himalayan Art lot 106, 21st March 2023, Sotheby’s (labelled 1600-1699 on HAR ).

Chanda Vajrapani is identified by the vajra sceptre he brandishes in his right hand, the raised forefinger of his left hand – around which a lasso is normally wound – and the bed of twisted snakes (nagas) on which he stands. He is adorned with snakes, a crown, princely jewellery, and wears a tiger skin loin cloth plus another hide on his back.

17th-18th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, bronze with remains of cold gold and pigments, photo Nabin K. Sapkota on wikimedia , at the Patan Museum (Nepal).

The open left fist suggests that this is the nilambara/nilambadhara form, who normally holds a bell in his left hand and treads on the elephant-headed demon Bhut Aparajita or on two victims.

18th century, Tibet or China, (Vajrapani), clay tsa-tsa with cold gold and paint, 7,62 cm, inventory nº M.71.26.28 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (USA).

This Vajrapani clearly holds an upturned bell in his left hand, yet this form does not normally wear a skull crown.

Tibet, Wrathful Vajrapani

Circa 1200, Tibet, Vajrapani, painted clay on a wooden armature, 252 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder (Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 869, pl. 200N), at the Nyethang monastery (Tibet).

Obviously from the same set as a Padmantaka seen recently, this large statue reminiscent of the Dali Kingdom style depicts Vajrapani brandishing a large vajra sceptre in his right hand, the left one would have held a vajra bell now missing. He has the aspect of a wrathful yaksha with a dark blue body, a third eye, bared fangs, and crushes a prostrate figure with the aspect of a demon (traditionally this form of Vajrapani treads on two victims or on elephant-headed Bhut Aparajita).

Tibet, Wrathful Vajrapani – various forms (14)

13th century, Tibet, Mahacakra Vajrapani, stone with cold gold and pigments, 13,9 cm, Nepalese artist, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder (Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume Two, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 900 pl. 210A, Potala Collection, Bla ma lha khang, inventory nº 1975, Lhasa (Tibet).

An early and unusual sculpture of Mahacakra Vajrapani, with four arms rather than six, each of his three heads adorned with a crown that includes nagas, plus a garuda in his flaming hair. He holds a long snake in his mouth and in his main hands, a vajra sceptre in each of his upper hands. Instead of crushing anthropomorphic Hindu deities, he stands with one foot on a makara and the other on a tortoise, which symbolise the river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna (as explained by Mr von Schroeder) – an iconography seen once before (on HAR and Bonhams).

16th century, Tibet, Mahacakra Vajrapani with consort, gilt bronze (with turquoise and glass replacement, pigment), 20,2 cm, Art d’Asie lot 173, 16th December 2022, Christie’s (Paris).

In his more common six-arm form, making the fear-allaying gesture with his main right hand, the gesture of supreme generosity with the left one, holding the snake with another pair of hands, and wielding a vajra sceptre in the upper right hand – the left one makes a wrathful gesture. Mamaki holds the same attributes as before.

They stand on Brahma (with four heads) and Shiva.

15th century, Tibet, Bhutadamara Vajrapani? (labelled ‘Mahacakra’), gilt metal (with cold gold, pigments, turquoise, lapis lazuli), private collection, photo and view of the rear on HAR

The main hands make a gesture to subdue demons  known as bhutadamara mudra, the upper right hand holds a vajra sceptre, the left one makes a wrathful gesture (tarjani mudra) while holding a broken implement, possibly a lasso. He wears a tiger skin loin cloth and is adorned with snakes, including one to tie his hair, which corresponds to the blue form (with a blue body on paintings) of bhutadmara Vajrapani, who has four or six arms and stands on two victims when in embrace with his consort, but he normally has a dragon or a vajra sceptre and snake in his headdress, and a skull crown.

Circa 15th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, bronze, 11 cm, private collection, Art d’Asie lot 176, 16th December 2022, Christie’s (Paris).

Nilambara/Nilambadhara Vajrapani in his two-arm form, wielding a vajra sceptre in his right hand and holding an upturned vajra bell in the other, his feet crushing two victims. According to textual sources, the two-arm form is adorned with the eight snake ornaments and doesn’t wear a skull crown or a garland of severed heads, but we have come across  a few exceptions – all dating from the 15th century or later.

Probably 16th-17th century, Tibet, Chanda Vajrapani (labelled ‘Bhutadamara Vajrapani’), gilt bronze, 11,9 cm, private collection, photo on Lempertz .

Chanda Vajrapani, standing on twisted snakes, wielding a vajra sceptre in his right hand and making a wrathful gesture with the other while holding a (missing) lasso wound around his forefinger. We have seen a few other examples with a garuda on the lotus base. He has an effigy, probably of Akshobhya, on top of his flaming hair.

Tibet, wrathful Vajrapani – various forms (13)

Undated (probably 15th century), Tibet, one of the protector deities, painted clay, photo on Jenny far away , at the Gyantse Kumbum (Tibet).

Wrathful Vajrapani with a blue-black body, one head with three eyes and bared fangs, two arms, a vajra sceptre in his right hand and a vajra bell in the other, which corresponds to his nilambara/nilambadhara form. He is flanked by two attendants who stand on separate lotuses and each hold a bell. This aspect of the deity doesn’t wear a skull crown or a garland of severed heads but he usually has a tiger skin loin cloth.

14th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, metal (brass), private collection, item 7594 on Himalayan Art Resources.

The head of this statue is so big that it looks as if it belongs to a different work. Vajrapani is depicted in his chanda form, with his left hand pointing sideways. He would have stood on a victim lying on a bed of snakes, or directly on the snakes.

18th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, gilt bronze with paint, inventory nº y-1136 at the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg (Russia).

More often than not, his left hand holds a lasso before his chest, wound around his forefinger. On this Chinese-style example he acts as an attendant (see full sculpture here ).

17th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, gilt metal with paint, private collection, photo on HAR 

We have only seen a few sculptures depicting this form of wrathful Vajrapani, whose distinctive features are a long silk coat with wide sleeves and a flayed human hide.

A rear view of the work shows the latter, with the head and the arms on the left, the legs on the other side, cut out in the middle to display the back of an elegant four-point cape with a cloud shape border. He always stands on two victims, brandishing a vajra sceptre in his right hand holding a bell in the other.

Tibet, wrathful Vajrapani (21)

Circa 15th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, parcel-gilt silver with turquoise and polychromy, private collection, Indian and Southeast Asian Art lot 137, 21st March 2002, Sotheby’s.

18th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, gilt bronze, 6,2 cm, private collection, Asian Art lot 1033, 25th June 2021, Nagel.

18th-19th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, gilt bronze, 44 cm, item nº 1991.148.70 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (USA).

Tibet, Vajrapani – Mahacakra (4)

15th century, Tibet, Vajrapani, gilt copper alloy (with turquoise inlay and red pigment), copper alloy base, copper and silver snake, 17,4 cm, private collection, photo on Bonhams (Paris).

Wrathful Vajrapani with three heads and six arms, holding a long snake in his mouth and his middle hands, the main ones making the fear-allaying and the boon-granting gesture respectively, the upper right hand clutching a vajra sceptre, the left one making a wrathful gesture. He crushes two victims lying on a plain lotus base.

He wears a tiger skin loin cloth on his back and another round his waist, topped with a bone apron. He is adorned with a tall crown with a triratna design, bone jewellery, and his flaming hair is tied with a snake and topped with a half-vajra finial.

15th century, Tibet, Mahachakra Vajrapani, gilt bronze, 14,5 cm, Indian&Southeast Asian Art lot 132, 23rd September 2004, Christie’s.

The same form in embrace with his consort, who has one head and two arms and wears a bone apron and a cross-belt. She normally holds a skull cup and a flaying knife. He is adorned with crowns, foliate jewellery, and snakes (this form of Vajrapani doesn’t wear a garland of severed heads).