Vajrapani Bodhisattva

NEPAL

This Bodhisattva wears a miter-like crown with fluttering ribbons hanging from brackets on both sides. An oval urna is visible on the forehead as are the three lines on the neck, and the wheel symbol on the raised palm, all signs of a spiritually great person. The upper body is decorated with jewelry and a stole, while the lower body is covered with a skirt. The figure is seated in the royal ease posture, and the right hand is in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra.
Two lotuses blossom beside the Bodhisattva’s shoulders, each supporting a vajra. Two trees, thick with foliage and fruit, converge behind into a mandorla-like arch. The Bodhisattva and the trees were cast separately and then combined. The openwork stand supporting the statue is on the back of crouching lions. An inscription on the base states the sculpture was presented as an offering by Isisimha in 1731.