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Source Description
The Buddhist meditational deity Vajrabhairava, conqueror of death, embraces his female partner, Vajravetali. Trampling birds, animals, and Hindu gods that personify the worldly attachments and delusions that one must overcome on the path to enlightenment, he breaks down barriers to spiritual liberation. Three lamas wearing hats associated with the Karma Kagyu monastic tradition sit above the central pair, and the two handprints below most likely belong to a revered lama. Enhanced with gold and framed by red halos, they render his touch visible and preserve his sacred presence.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
98102
label
Vajrabhairava and Vajravetali
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
7
Source metadata
id
98102
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Vajrabhairava and Vajravetali
description
The Buddhist meditational deity Vajrabhairava, conqueror of death, embraces his female partner, Vajravetali. Trampling birds, animals, and Hindu gods that personify the worldly attachments and delusions that one must overcome on the path to enlightenment, he breaks down barriers to spiritual liberation. Three lamas wearing hats associated with the Karma Kagyu monastic tradition sit above the central pair, and the two handprints below most likely belong to a revered lama. Enhanced with gold and framed by red halos, they render his touch visible and preserve his sacred presence.
provenance
Purchased by Walter Hauser [1], Charlottesville, Virginia, 1964-65; given to Walters Art Museum, 2016.[1] Purchased from an unknown dealer or bazaar shop in Kalimpong or Darjeeling in West Bengal
date
18th century
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
tangkas
imageCount
7
pageCount
7
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
128
height
69.5
depth
2.5
dimensionsRaw
Overall H: 50 3/8 × W: 27 3/8 × D: 1 in. (128 × 69.5 × 2.5 cm); Image H: 23 5/8 × W: 15 15/16 in. (60 × 40.5 cm)
Source extras
med
tempera and gold on cloth
creator_ids
6868
collection_ids
INT
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
09026c552bdc6e70
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
213e599939d6f225
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
72d0d9ac128d53a1
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
a15142b6256a6120
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
c1e94d4cf67be991
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
6
type
photo
mediaId
53b09bc7e12fedee
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
7
type
photo
mediaId
3ed654369891e073
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no