Auction Information

Description

The magnificent and exquisite statue of this deity can be said to be one of the outstanding gilded statues with Yongle inscriptions. Among the existing gold and bronze statues, there is no comparable example of the single Great Wide Vajra, and the only comparable work is a copper gilded Great Wide Vajra mandala in Yongle, Ming Dynasty in Xizang Museum. The mandala is 82cm high and designed as a lotus that can be opened and closed. The inner and outer walls of the eight petal lotus are respectively cast with high relief and shallow relief sculptures. Among the tangled branches under the lotus, four round sculptures are set off to offer sacrifices to Bodhisattvas. After the petals are closed, a canopy is placed on top, and the bronze gilded golden Diamond of Mighty Virtue is hidden within it. The whole device is ingeniously conceived and the skills are superb and unparalleled. The bronze gilded Vajra in the middle of the mandala has the same design as the Ming Yongle bronze gilded Vajra, which is a scaled down version of this work. Compared to the other, both are extremely magnificent. The texture and luster of the gilded body of these two statues fully represent the wisdom, bravery, refinement and power of the Great Wide Vajra, and they are the outstanding figures of the same kind of Buddha in Xizang's gilding process.