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A HIGHLY IMPORTANT MONUMENTAL IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF VAJRABHAIRAVA China, Chenghua mark and period, dated 1473 H. 94 cm / 169 kg The base inscribed: "Daming chenghua jiu nian shiyi yue chu‘er ri anxigong shi" (Bestowed by the Anxi Palace on the second day, eleventh month, ninth year of the Chenghua period [1473]). Vajrabhairava is standing in alidhasana on a lotus base, his thirty-four arms radiate around his body, the hands holding the prescribed attributes, weapons and mudras, the principle ones embracing his prajna while holding karttrika and kapala, wearing tiger-skirt, heavily bejewelled, with sixteen legs, his nine faced-head consisting of the central ferocious looking bull-head flanked by six wrathful faces placed in a circle, topped with two more heads including that of Manjushri set against his red painted flaming hairdo secured with tiara’s in the shape of grinning skulls, his consort Vajravetali is flinging her left leg around his middle, her hands holding kapala and chopper and behind a large aureole forming leaking flames. The powerful, esoteric deity Vajrabhairava represents both the cosmic as well as the angry manifestation of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of Wisdom, whose head tops the others as visible at the presented example. He represents the adamantine wisdom of ultimate reality in triumph over evil, suffering and death. He is a god of Indian origin which the 'bhairava' section in his name demonstrates, alike his iconography. He is considered to be an adaption into the Buddhist pantheon of Mahabhairava, the fierce form of the Hindu god Shiva. In fact Mahabhairava represents the cosmic form of Shiva, as Vajrabhairava is of Manjushri. His eight heads represent the eight directions while the ninth (head of Manjushri) symbolizes the centre of the universe. The multiple arms and legs pervade the universe. His legs trample upon various creatures (presently missing) like Shiva dances his cosmic dance of destruction on a demon. The 'vajra' word-section in his name is the adamantine symbol of the ultimate reality manifesting as compassion. Manjushri assumed the buffalo-headed form of Yama, the god of Death, in order to conquer Death. Due to taking-on multiple limbs and heads he manifested himself greater than Yama. Thus overwhelming Yama, he stops his killing activity and becomes the terminator of Death (yama-antaka). In Tibetan Buddhism there are three forms of Yamantaka of which Vajrabhairava is the best known, most powerful, as represented by this gilt-bronze image. The deity Vajrabhairava has acquired a special flavour amongst most Tibetan religious schools. During the New Year festivals he was evoked and propitiated according to the Saskyapa method in special ceremonies performed by both Saskyapa and Nyingmapa followers. These festivities were a mixture of pre-Buddhist military ceremonies, shamanistic dances of exorcism, as well Buddhist rituals. However, Vajrabhairava reached his finest momentum within the Gelugpa order founded by the Tibetan master Tsongkhapa (1357-1419). The latter dedicated even a text to this specific deity where he lucidly explained the symbolism of his various heads, limbs and attributes. The Tibetan teacher systemized further his complex iconography. In particular the specific arrangement of the seven heads in a circle topped by both others were pointed out by him. The presented sacred image shows this aspect perfectly well in all its magnitude. A direct imperial link of this superb bronze is based on an extremely rare and lengthy inscription engraved on the base. It mentions that it was donated by the Anxi Palace during the reign of emperor Chenghua (1465-1487). Even rarer is the specific date contained in the inscription, namely: the second day of the eleven month in the ninth year of the Chenghua period, or 2 November 1473 (daming chenghua jiu nian shiyi yue chu’er ri anxigong shi). To date, only two imperial objects are known that can be connect

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Bronze