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Vajra Deity From a Mandala
(Southeast Asia )
This small bronze was once part of an assembly of deities composed of about 100 figures of varying size and importance, with the central one standing for supreme truth. Such an assembly, or mandala, was the visual counterpart of an elaborate mental exercise, a sequence of meditations, or trances, leading to an enlightened state of mind.
The figure belongs to a group of four that surrounded a Buddha. The lotus supported by his left hand holds a vajra-a cudgel that stands for ultimate wisdom.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Sotheby's, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1990, by purchase.
Geographies
Indonesia, Nganjuk (Place of Origin)
Measurements
3 11/16 x 1 3/4 in. (9.4 x 4.5 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, 1990
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.
54.2655