Buddha Vajrasattva

In parts of western Tibet and adjacent regions, artists continued to be influenced by traditions stemming from Kashmiri influences during the 10th and early 11th centuries and created works that owe little to the Indian and Nepalese styles that dominated central Tibet from the 11th century on.

This Tibetan Buddha is cast from a copper alloy high in zinc. The golden color of the alloy is set off by copper-rich inlays at the armbands and crown. The face of this Buddha was originally painted—you can still see remnants of the red paint used for the lips and the blue used for the hair. In areas of Tibet, sculptures like this were often cast in parts and assembled after casting. The arms of the Buddha were made separately, and if you look closely just below the armbands, you may see where they are joined. The Buddha is missing its lotus base, in which sacred texts and scrolls might have been placed.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Sonam Tashi, Hong Kong; purchased by John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore, 1996; given to Walters Art Museum, 2014.