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Vajravarahi in Wrathful Posture
Date
13th century
Medium
Copper alloy with turquoise, silver, and colors
Dimensions
H. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm); W. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm); D. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm)
Culture
Central Tibet
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Asian Art
Gallery
253
Location
253
Credit
Zimmerman Family Collection, Gift of the Zimmerman Family, 2014

Description

Overview Vajravarahi in Wrathful Posture Central Tibet 13th century On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 253 Vajravarahi derives from the boar-headed Hindu goddess Varahi, the female aspect of Vishnu’s boar avatar, Varaha. She reflects the incorporation of Hindu imagery into Vajrayana Buddhism. Here, the face of a sow projects from her head. Wearing a garland of severed heads, she dances on a corpse, wielding a chopper with a vajra (thunderbolt) finial, evoking the cutting away of illusions.