Tantric Buddha Vairochana as Vajrasattva

Description

The seated Buddha dominating the composition is identified as Vairochana because of his hand gesture, the mudra communicating supreme enlightenment in which the index finger of one hand is grasped by the fingers of the opposite hand. His golden color and the tiny vajra—a six-pronged ritual object representing a thunderbolt—balanced on top of his finger suggest that he is in the guise of Vajrasattva, the summation of all enlightened beings. In his crown is the image of a monk, who is probably the guru of the donor, the small monastic figure at the lower right next to the lotus pedestal.

Provenance

(David Tremayne, Ltd., London, UK, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?–1989); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1989–)

Tantric Buddha Vairochana as Vajrasattva

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c. 1150–1200

Accession Number

1989.104

Medium

gum tempera, ink, and gold on cloth

Dimensions

Overall: 111 x 73 cm (43 11/16 x 28 3/4 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund