Padmasambhava, the Lotus Born, appears here with his consort in Yab Yum, a classical representation of tantric iconography in Himalayan art. Known in Tibet as Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava is regarded as a highly learned master whose teachings shaped the early Buddhist traditions of the region.
Padmasambhava is shown seated on a lotus base in a relaxed posture. Both legs are loosely flexed, with the lower legs angled forward to support his consort, who sits on his lap in close embrace. His right hand holds the vajra, the left a skull cup, with the tantric staff (khatvanga) resting at his side. His consort holds a kartika in her right hand and a skull cup in her left. Both figures wear the crown and full ornaments of a Bodhisattva. Padmasambhava is depicted with the lotus hat and the royal robe associated with his iconographic tradition.
The robe, hat and lotus pedestal are extensively decorated with filigree. Fine wires are shaped to spiral coils, and filled with small arched elements arranged to a dense and coherent surface pattern. Colored stones are accentuating the filigree. This technique gives Padmasambhava’s royal mantle a finely worked, textile-like surface that reflects the garment’s refined, precious character.
The sculpture reflects the strong Vajrayana tradition in the Kathmandu Valley, where ritual performance and visual expression often merge: deities are shown in forms that mark a transition from ordinary to ritual identity. Padmasambhava, especially revered in Tibetan Buddhism, appears here in one of his most characteristic tantric representations.
A bronze cast statue, decorated with filigree ornaments, silver-plated and gold-plated, adorned with colored stones. The figure is patinated for an antique finish. The faces are finished in gold. Handcrafted in Nepal.
NOTE
The facial painting is a cold-gold application and water-soluble.
Yala Craft by Shanta is an Asian company based in Germany. I sell my traditional Buddhist sculpture art, created in my own workshop in Nepal.