Vajrasattva, known in Tibetan Buddhism as Dorje Sempa, appears here with his consort in Yab Yum. His consort, understood as his female counterpart in this iconographic context. Vajrasattva is regarded as a Bodhisattva of purification and holds a central place within Vajrayana.
Vajrasattva is shown seated in padma asana on a lotus base, with his consort sitting on his lap in close embrace. He holds the vajra in his right hand before the chest, while the left hand rests in his consort’s embrace holding the bell (ghanta). His consort has a third eye on her forehead. She holds a skull cup (kapala) in her left hand and a vajra in her right. Both figures wear the five-pointed crown and the full ornaments of a Bodhisattva. His consort is depicted wearing only her ornaments.
The surface of the garment and the lotus base are set with filigree work. Fine wires are shaped into spiral forms and filled with small arched elements, creating a dense and coherent surface pattern. Set colored stones accentuate the filigree structures. A single band of colored stones encircles the lower edge of the lotus base. The precision of the filigree work and the careful setting of the stones underline the high level of craftsmanship in this figure.
The sculpture reflects the Vajrayana traditions of the Kathmandu Valley, where ritual identity and visual form often converge. Vajrasattva, central to tantric Buddhist practice, appears here in one of his characteristic iconographic forms.
copper statue, traditional lost-wax cast, decorated with fine filigree, silver- and gold-plated, accentuated with colored stones. The faces are set in gold. The figure is patinated. Handmade 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.