The Deity Vajrabhairava, Tantric Form of the Bodhisattva Manjushri

The Deity Vajrabhairava, Tantric Form of the Bodhisattva Manjushri

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The most popular tantric manifestation of Manjushri is Vajrabhairava. Here, he has a buffalo head, holds an array of weapons, and tramples on birds, dogs, and Hindu gods. In this form, he is sometimes called Yamantaka, or the defeater of death, a deity that ends the cycle of rebirth and provides a path to nirvana. He frightens away egotism and selfishness—the root of suffering—and in this true form reveals the awesome and terrifying nature of enlightenment. For this extraordinary embroidery, the artist employed fine silk floss to achieve brilliant gradations of color and used horsehair underneath to create three-dimensional effects. The work was likely part of a group given by the Yongle-period emperor Chengzu to a Tibetan monk who conducted Vajrayana rituals in the Chinese court in 1415–16.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Deity Vajrabhairava, Tantric Form of the Bodhisattva ManjushriThe Deity Vajrabhairava, Tantric Form of the Bodhisattva ManjushriThe Deity Vajrabhairava, Tantric Form of the Bodhisattva ManjushriThe Deity Vajrabhairava, Tantric Form of the Bodhisattva ManjushriThe Deity Vajrabhairava, Tantric Form of the Bodhisattva Manjushri

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.