Crowns of the Vajra Masters: Ritual Art of Nepal

Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Transcendent Wisdom
India, Kashmir, 9th century
H. 5 15/16 (15.1 cm); W. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); D. 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm)

Lent by a private collection

The youthful Manjushri is seated on a waisted lotus throne, the base of which bears the female donor’s message on three sides. The six-armed bodhisattva holds the wisdom book (pustaka), a blue lotus, a rosary, and a now-lost second blue lotus, or possibly a sword. Affirming his childlike nature, Manjushri wears his hair in three long braids, as well as a tiger-claw pendant, favored by parents as a protective talisman for children.

Inscription: Inscribed: “the pious gift of Sutradevi”

Exhibition History
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Crowns of the Vajra Masters: Ritual Art of Nepal," December 16, 2017–December 16, 2018.