Vajradhara, revered in the Tibetan tradition as the primordial Buddha, is shown here with his consort in Yab Yum, a classical form of tantric iconography within the Vajrayana. In this representation he embodies the undivided nature of awakened wisdom, central to several early tantric systems.
Vajradhara sits in dhyana asana on a lotus pedestal, his consort seated on his lap in close embrace. He holds the vajra in his right hand and the bell (ghanta) in his left; both arms are crossed behind her back and form the vajrahunkara gesture. His consort holds a kartika in her right hand and a skull cup in her left, and is shown with a third eye on her forehead. Both figures wear the five-pointed crown and the full ornaments of a Bodhisattva; the consort is shown adorned only with her ornaments.
The surface of the robe and the lotus pedestal is set with filigree work. Fine wires are shaped into spiral and arched elements that create a dense and coherent ornamental structure. Colored stones accentuate the filigree, and a continuous band of stone settings encircles the lower pedestal. The precision of the filigree work and the careful stone setting underline the refined craftsmanship of the sculpture. The balanced arrangement of the ornaments and the clear organization of the surfaces give the figure a calm and coherent artistic presence.
This representation follows the Vajrayana tradition of the Kathmandu Valley, in which gesture, proportion and ornamentation define the clarity of the form. Vajradhara appears here in one of his characteristic tantric manifestations.
Statue cast from copper, adorned with filigree, gold- and silver-plated, set with colored stones. The figure is patinated. The faces are set in gold.
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.