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This composition, with its dark landscape of symmetrically repeated forms, strongly emphasizes the figures. The fine jewelry, the naturalistic sow’s head at the side of the main figure, and the curved knife against her body nimbus, or mandorla, rim are all rendered with extraordinary detail.
Vajravarahi
OriginBhutan, possibly Punakha Dzong
DateMid-19th century
Dimensions51 3/8 × 33 3/4 × 1 1/8 in.
MediumPigments on cloth
Classification(s)
Credit LineRubin Museum of Art
Object numberC2009.18
Himalayan Art Resources Number65858
DescriptionVajravarahi, readily identifiable by the sow’s head projecting from her own, is surrounded by seven other yoginis of different colors. The three teachers depicted at the top of the painting reveal that it comes from Bhutan. The most distinctive element for this attribution is the teacher at the left, who wears a dark blue hat with red and gold trim reserved for the Je Khenpo, the senior religious hierarch of Bhutan. On the reverse of the painting a precisely drawn stupa covers the area of the main deity’s body and represents her mind form. Inside the stupa her mantra is written in Lantsa script (a decorative form of Sanskrit), representing her speech form.This composition, with its dark landscape of symmetrically repeated forms, strongly emphasizes the figures. The fine jewelry, the naturalistic sow’s head at the side of the main figure, and the curved knife against her body nimbus, or mandorla, rim are all rendered with extraordinary detail.
Not on view
20th century
19th century
12th century
14th century
15th century
19th century
19th century
19th century
13th century
early 20th century
late 18th – early 19th century