Ushnishavijaya Statue – Buddhist Figure with Filigree

Ushnishavijaya, known in Tibetan as Tsuktor Namgyalma, belongs to the female figures of Vajrayana Buddhism and is recognized as a deity of longevity.

Ushnishavijaya is depicted seated in the lotus posture, padma asana, on a lotus pedestal. She is three-headed, each face bearing a third eye. Her eight arms hold characteristic attributes: a small Buddha figure, a bow and arrow, a double vajra, a jewel vase, and a noose. Further hands display the gesture of granting, varada mudra, and the gesture of protection, abhaya mudra. She wears the crown and full adornment of a bodhisattva.

Of the attributes, the small Buddha figure refers to Ushnishavijaya’s epithet as the “Mother of all Buddhas.” The double vajra held before the chest symbolizes the all-encompassing, indestructible absolute. Bow and arrow are held with a specific finger position corresponding to the gesture of warding off, karana mudra. The jewel vase and the gesture of granting refer to the aspect of bestowing support.

Pedestal and garment are decorated with filigree. Fine wires are formed into spirals, filled with small arched elements and combined into patterns. Colored stones set accents within the filigree and form floral motifs. On the reverse of the pedestal, an abstract vajra motif is placed at the center. The statue is worked on the reverse as well and is intended for freestanding display.

The statue follows the image traditions of Vajrayana art in the Kathmandu Valley, in which ritual identity, gesture, and ornament are brought together into a balanced iconographic unity.

Ushnishavijaya

statue from copper, using the traditional lost-wax cast, decorated with fine filigree, gold- and silver-plated, set with coral, turquoise and lapis lazuli. The faces are set in gold. The statue is patinated. Handcrafted in Nepal.

• Height: 23 cm
• Width: 19.5 cm
• Depth: 8.5 cm
• Weight: 2,172 g 

NOTE
The face painting is a cold gold application and is water-soluble.