Gilded Bronze of Samantabhadra Buddha in Yab-Yum
Nepal, 18th century
Height: 15.2 cm | Width: 10.2 cm | Depth: 8.1 cm | Weight: 1,310 g
This is a fine example of Samantabhadra, the Primordial Buddha of the Vajrayana tradition, not to be confused with Samantabhadra, one of the eight great Bodhisaatvas.
Samantabhadra Buddha is depicted here in union with his consort Samantabhadri. Together they symbolize the inseparability of awareness and emptiness. This isn’t simply devotional iconography. Samantabhadra symbolizes the primordial, unaltered state of mind.
This bronze was almost certainly produced in the Kathmandu Valley, where Newar craftsmen had for centuries supplied the Himalayan world with its finest religious bronzes. The 18th century represented the last flowering of Malla patronage before the kingdom’s conquest by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1768, a period of intense artistic production across the valley’s three rival city-states.
Unlike most Buddhas, who are depicted with crowns, jewels, and robes, Samantabhadra is immediately recognizable by their absence. The nakedness signifies the naked, unaltered state of the mind.
Samantabhadra is seated in the full lotus posture on a finely cast double lotus dais. Samantabhadri rests on his lap, her arms and legs wrapping around his body. The two face each other directly, lips aligned.
The two figures appear to have been cast as one unit and slot into the lotus platform, which was cast separately. Lugs at the rear of the platform indicate an original backing plate, now absent. A piece of this scale and integration would have occupied a private shrine, made for sustained contemplation.
The gilding is largely intact and has developed a warm, softened hue consistent with age. Condition is fine.
Gilded Bronze of Samantabhadra Buddha in Yab-Yum
Nepal, 18th century
Height: 15.2 cm | Width: 10.2 cm | Depth: 8.1 cm | Weight: 1,310 g
This is a fine example of Samantabhadra, the Primordial Buddha of the Vajrayana tradition, not to be confused with Samantabhadra, one of the eight great Bodhisaatvas.
Samantabhadra Buddha is depicted here in union with his consort Samantabhadri. Together they symbolize the inseparability of awareness and emptiness. This isn’t simply devotional iconography. Samantabhadra symbolizes the primordial, unaltered state of mind.
This bronze was almost certainly produced in the Kathmandu Valley, where Newar craftsmen had for centuries supplied the Himalayan world with its finest religious bronzes. The 18th century represented the last flowering of Malla patronage before the kingdom’s conquest by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1768, a period of intense artistic production across the valley’s three rival city-states.
Unlike most Buddhas, who are depicted with crowns, jewels, and robes, Samantabhadra is immediately recognizable by their absence. The nakedness signifies the naked, unaltered state of the mind.
Samantabhadra is seated in the full lotus posture on a finely cast double lotus dais. Samantabhadri rests on his lap, her arms and legs wrapping around his body. The two face each other directly, lips aligned.
The two figures appear to have been cast as one unit and slot into the lotus platform, which was cast separately. Lugs at the rear of the platform indicate an original backing plate, now absent. A piece of this scale and integration would have occupied a private shrine, made for sustained contemplation.
The gilding is largely intact and has developed a warm, softened hue consistent with age. Condition is fine.
