Antique Nepalese Bronze Statue
Vajrasattva Tantric Union
Vajradhatu Ishvari Yab Yum
Origin: Kathmandu. Circa: 19th Century and earlier
H 15 in.(38cm), W 11 in.(28cm), D 7 in.(18cm)
Condition: Excellent!
Private Collection
A superb casting in sumptuous details, with a gorgeous sheen of naturally aged bronze patina, this dazzling Yab Yum statue of Vajrasattva and consort Vajradhatu Ishvari are interlocked in a tender embrace, beautifully embodying the perfect union of the two deities. The statue is a complex yet sublime rendition of Heruka Vajrasattva in the dynamic union of compassion and wisdom.
Vajrasattva is the inner form of the primordial Buddha Vajradhara and represents all the Buddha Families. He is holding a vajra in his right hand and a bell in his left, with flaming hair adorned with a large crown, a waistband around his naked figure, and standing on a lotus moon disk with Vajradhatu embracing him. As her face gazes upward and their eyes coincide, her right hand rises with a chopper held between two fingers, and in her left, she holds a skullcup, naked and embellished with only a strand of jewels around her waist, and her legs are entwined Vajrasattva in perfect union. The statue is explicitly lifelike and very heavy for its size. It has been sealed and engraved with a double vajra on the base, which indicates that it was consecrated to invite the deities into the statue.