Manjusri Gilt Copper with silver and gems Tibet

Manjushri seated in vajraparyankasana on a broad double lotus pedestal, with hands in dharmachakramudra, holding flower stems with the blooms bearing the bodhisattva’s emblems the khadga and pustaka, and wearing a lower garment fitting tightly to the leg with a fringe at the calf bordered by pearls denoted by inlaid silver beading, the yajnopavita and pearl necklaces also inlaid with silver beading, and the crown band inlaid with silver engraved with a scrolling vine motif, the bodhisattva wearing a diaphanous shawl with a wave pattern hem and a vajra helmet, the whole with a rich mercury gilding and jewelry inset with colored glass and semi-precious stones.

This accomplished and substantial sculpture is cast in the graceful manner of the Nepalese artistic tradition. Limbs are muscular and rounded, the shoulders broad, fingers are long and elegant, and the bodhisattva is imbued with spiritual calm and poise. The fire gilding, the Newar craftsman’s forte, is lustrous and of subtle hue. Moreover the garnet-colored glass settings used in the inset jewelry – many of which are original – are of a color typically associated with Nepalese works. The fourteenth century saw a considerable expansion in the building and extension of Tibetan monastic establishments, and records confirm the employment of Nepalese artists and craftsmen in their construction and decoration. Compare a Tibetan fourteenth century gilt copper Manjughosha in Nepalese style housed in the small monastery of Shalu, famous for its important Newar style wall paintings, see von Schroeder, 2001, pl. 229C, p. 959.

Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, has numerous manifestations including the thirty-four armed, sixteen-legged, bull-headed Vajrabhairava. Here he appears in his purest form as a sixteen-year old youth symbolising the clear, unadulterated and intuitive nature of true Buddhist Wisdom.