figure (ritual & belief: representations)

Gilt bronze statue of Vajrapani, Buddhist guardian deity, standing on a pedestal of ornamented lotus petals. Left leg extended outward, right leg bent against the body. Right arm extended upwards and outwards, holding a vajra, ritual thunderbolt symbol. In the left hand a lasso. Carved bone and snake necklaces, loin cloth of tiger skin, of which head on right knee. Wrathful expression, bulging eyes, open mouth with fangs, thick moustache and eyebrows, bulging third eye on fortehead. Crown with five skulls, hair depicted as flames shooting upwards as a halo.

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk