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This Buddhist deity holds a bell, symbolic of wisdom, and a flaming wheel, symbolic of the Buddhist teachings. His crown, which terminates in a "vajra"—the multipronged ritual scepter of the tantric Buddhist traditions—resembles the type of headdress worn by Nepali images of the deity Vajrasattva. Identified as both a primordial Buddha and a bodhisattva, Vajrasattva often plays a role in purification rituals. However, since Vajrasattva holds a vajra and bell, the identity of this wheel-bearing deity remains uncertain.The seated deity is cast from almost pure copper, visible in areas where the thick gilding has worn away. The hollow figure is sealed with a small, rectangluar copper panel incised with the protective "vajra," or thunderbolt symbol, on its underside, and x-radiography reveals a hollow compartment that may hold sacred scrolls within.
Page data
- Page
- 7
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- c4d13eb95f108649
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 22413
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
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"contentType": "object",
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"title": "Buddhist Deity",
"description": "This Buddhist deity holds a bell, symbolic of wisdom, and a flaming wheel, symbolic of the Buddhist teachings. His crown, which terminates in a \"vajra\"—the multipronged ritual scepter of the tantric Buddhist traditions—resembles the type of headdress worn by Nepali images of the deity Vajrasattva. Identified as both a primordial Buddha and a bodhisattva, Vajrasattva often plays a role in purification rituals. However, since Vajrasattva holds a vajra and bell, the identity of this wheel-bearing deity remains uncertain.The seated deity is cast from almost pure copper, visible in areas where the thick gilding has worn away. The hollow figure is sealed with a small, rectangluar copper panel incised with the protective \"vajra,\" or thunderbolt symbol, on its underside, and x-radiography reveals a hollow compartment that may hold sacred scrolls within.",
"provenance": "William H. Wolf, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; purchased by John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore, 1972.",
"date": "15th century",
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}
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Document identity
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Document source metadata
{
"id": "22413",
"sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/F.190",
"contentType": "object",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "Buddhist Deity",
"description": "This Buddhist deity holds a bell, symbolic of wisdom, and a flaming wheel, symbolic of the Buddhist teachings. His crown, which terminates in a \"vajra\"—the multipronged ritual scepter of the tantric Buddhist traditions—resembles the type of headdress worn by Nepali images of the deity Vajrasattva. Identified as both a primordial Buddha and a bodhisattva, Vajrasattva often plays a role in purification rituals. However, since Vajrasattva holds a vajra and bell, the identity of this wheel-bearing deity remains uncertain.The seated deity is cast from almost pure copper, visible in areas where the thick gilding has worn away. The hollow figure is sealed with a small, rectangluar copper panel incised with the protective \"vajra,\" or thunderbolt symbol, on its underside, and x-radiography reveals a hollow compartment that may hold sacred scrolls within.",
"provenance": "William H. Wolf, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; purchased by John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore, 1972.",
"date": "15th century",
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"rightsUri": "CC0",
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}
Document source extras
{
"med": "gilded copper alloy with traces of paint and semiprecious stones",
"creator_ids": [
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],
"collection_ids": [
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],
"exhibition_ids": [
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}
Page context
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