Chakrasamvara Gilt copper alloy Tibeto-Chinese

Chakrasamvara stepping in alidha posture in union with his consort Vajravarahi, with principal hands crossed behind her in prajnalinganabhinaya mudra holding the vajra and ghanta, trampling figures of Kalaratri and Bhairava lying prostrate on a double lotus pedestal, Chakrasamvara and his consort wearing crowns, beaded aprons and jeweled sashes, the faces, crowns and hair all painted with iconographic colors according to the Tibetan parctise.

Philip Goldman Collection, London, 1973.

Chakrasamvara clasps his consort Vajravarahi with hands crossed behind her back and holding the ghanta and vajra, the ritual implements symbolising female wisdom and male compassion respectively. The union of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi embodies the secret Tibetan Buddhist Tantra relating to the achievment of Supreme Bliss, through the confluence of Wisdom and Compassion.

The origin of the style of this sculpture lies in the early fifteenth century works made in the imperial foundries during the Yongle and Xuande periods. The relationships built by Tibetan hierarchs and the Chinese emperors during this period resulted in numerous commissions of Buddhist works of art from Chinese ateliers to fill temple halls both in China and Tibet. Compare the beaded aprons and jeweled sashes, the powerful movement and the rich tone of the mercury gilding to a fifteenth century Tibeto-Chinese Guhyasadhana Dharmaraja, now in the Potala Palace collection, see von Schroeder, 2001, no. 362C, p. 1288-9.