Vajrakila and Consort (Primary Title)
Vajrakumara and Consort (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
Vajrakila is the embodiment of the three-sided ritual peg (kila) with which Padmasambhava is said to have immobilized the local spirits during his conversion of Tibet to Buddhism. The deity is, accordingly, especially prominent in the practices of Padmasambhava’s Nyingma order. In some of his many forms, his lower body actually takes the shape of the tetrahedral kila; in others, like this sculpture, he merely holds it between the palms of his principal hands. Unfortunately, none of his attributes survive here, but his consort, Diptachakra, still holds a blood-filled skull cup and a vajra.
Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, April 17 - August 18, 1991; IBM Gallery, New York, NY, October 15 - December 28, 1991; Royal Academy of Art, London, UK, September 16 - December 13, 1992
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