The Primordial Buddha Vajradhara

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Buddha Vajradhara is a divine manifestation of the totality of Buddhist teachings and is credited with being the source of the Buddhist tantric texts. Here, he holds a vajra and a bell that symbolizes energy (male) and emptiness (female). This sculpture is remarkable for the many surviving original inset pieces of turquoise and semiprecious stones and for the silver wire inlay in his dhoti (loincloth). These components indicate his divine status and evoke the crystalline nature of the heaven where he resides.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art