Manjuvajra Mandala [Bangladesh or India (West Bengal)] (57.51.

6) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art 8/23/11 12:29 AM

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Manjuvajra Mandala, Pala period (ca. 700–1200), 11th century

Bangladesh or India (West Bengal)
Black stone
H. 50 3/4 in. (128.9 cm)
Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956 (57.51.6)

ON VIEW: GALLERY 238 Last Updated August 17, 2011

The central icon of this sculpture is Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of

Wisdom, in his manifestation as the Tantric Manjuvajra. This image is a
two-dimensional representation of Manjuvajra as the central figure in the
famous Hymns of the Names of Manjushri, although this image has six
arms rather than the usual eight. Manjuvajra is shown at the center of a
mandala within a stupa, most likely a reference to the great stupa of
Amaravati in South India, despite the Bengali architectural form.
His mandala is believed to be the primordial source of all mandalas,
located at the foundation of the great stupa. He holds a vajra scepter
and bell in his two front hands, and would have held a bow and arrow in
his second pair, and the sword and flower with a missing text of the
Transcendent Wisdom Scripture in the last pair. His three faces
represent the three passions transmuted into the three wisdoms, the
three visions of the subtle mind, or the three channels of the yogic
nervous system. The five smaller Manjuvajra images in the stupas above
his head are the Manjuvajra forms of the primary Buddhas of the other
Buddha-clans, located in the four directions and the zenith in a three-
dimensional mandala.
The crisp, elegant carving of this sculpture exemplifies the art of the Pala
kingdom in northeast India. The Buddhas, their stupas, and the floral
ornamentation are precisely carved and finished. All of the Buddhas
have broad shoulders and chests, articulated waists, and long powerful
legs. Their faces are full and almost square, with long, thin features. The
Pala-period style traveled from India to Nepal and Tibet, where it
became one of the major sculptural and painting traditions.

Related

Maps Index Terms

World, 1000–1400 A.D. ART MOVEMENT/STYLE
South and Southeast Asia, 1000–1400 A.D. Pala Period in Indian Art

Timelines MATERIAL AND TECHNIQUE

South Asia: North, 1000–1400 A.D. Miscellaneous Stone
Relief Sculpture from South and Southeast Asia
Works of Art by Collection
SUBJECT MATTER/THEME
Asian Art
Bodhisattva
Buddhism
Buddhist Deity
Buddhist Sculpture Relief
Deity
Manjushri
Further Reading

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Manjuvajra Mandala [Bangladesh or India (West Bengal)] (57.51.6) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art 8/23/11 12:29 AM

Citation
"Manjuvajra Mandala [Bangladesh or India (West Bengal)] (57.51.6)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/57.51.6 (October 2006)

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