Artwork Page for Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda

Details / Information for Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda

Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda

painting 1600s, embroidery c. 1300

Choying Dorje, the Tenth Black Hat Karmapa

(Tibetan, 1604–1674)
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Culture
China and Tibet, Embroidery: China, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368); painting: Tibet, 17th century
Medium
Opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on silk
Measurements
Overall: 40.6 x 6.7 cm (16 x 2 5/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1989.11.c
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Vajrapani sometimes takes the form of Garuda, enemy of snakes.

Description

The painting depicts the Buddhist protector who holds (pani) the thunder bolt (vajra) in his right hand. He kneels in reverence and holds his left hand in a gesture of salute. This unusual image appears to have been the vision of a Tibetan monastic patriarch known for creating his own inventive paintings and sculptures.

Sewn to the painting are Chinese damask borders and rare embroideries dating to the Chinese Yuan dynasty (1279–1368). They depict man-eagle figures known as Garuda, a form occasionally assumed by Vajrapani.
A vertically oriented textile fragment features two narrow strips of dark, muted green silk mounted on a light tan, horizontally woven ground. The upper strip is longer than the lower, both showing irregular, frayed edges and signs of wear. Decorated with opaque watercolor and gold, the fabric exhibits a coarse, uneven texture. These dark fragments contrast against the neutral background, emphasizing their weathered, vertical alignment and fragile, historic state.

Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda

painting 1600s, embroidery c. 1300

Choying Dorje, the Tenth Black Hat Karmapa

(Tibetan, 1604–1674)
China and Tibet, Embroidery: China, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368); painting: Tibet, 17th century

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