Vajravarahi in Wrathful Posture

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

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