Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Vajrabhairava with Vajravetali
(India, Nepal, and Tibet)
The enlightened wrathful deity Vajrabhairava, Buddhist conqueror of death, embraces his female partner, Vajravetali. His nine heads include that of a buffalo, the animal associated with the defeated god of death, and the crowning yellow face of Manjushri, bodhisattva of wisdom, with whom Vajrabhairava is associated. Vajrabhairava’s central crown of skulls is topped with images of five peaceful Buddhas, a reminder that his gruesome imagery, by forcing us to confront what we fear, ultimately supports the goal of enlightenment.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore; given to Walters Art Museum, 2002.
Geographies
Tibet (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 35 × W: 22 1/2 in. (88.9 × 57.15 cm); Approx. framed H: 73 1/2 × W: 43 3/4 × D: 2 1/2 in. (186.69 × 111.13 × 6.35 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of John and Berthe Ford, 2002
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
35.293