A
powerful aged bronze depicting Vajrasadhu with consort. He is seated on a roaring
lion, dressed in embroidery-hemmed robe caught high on the waist with a clasped
girdle, its flowing sleeves ruffled by the animated currents surrounding him.
He is holding a conch in his right hand and the jewel-spitting mongoose in his
left. The lion has a bell collar, shaggy eyebrows, floppy ears and a mane of gracefully
twirling locks, its furry raised tail terminating in five sections.
The
bronze is finely cast, the details accomplished with a high degree of artistry.
Skilled hand chasing brings out the rhythms of flowing hair; the precious jewels,
braids and ornaments. The figures' features are individualized, the consort with
a vibrant expression, her head thrown back and her piercing eyes on Vajrasadhu,
holding in each hand. The fabric of a celestial scarf that floats about her body.
The Vajrasadhu's jiangda
hat is one worn by secular geluns, or local chiefs, of pre-Buddhist Tibet, dating
back to Shang China and worn officially up to the time of the Democratic Reform.
This secular hat can be understood as a symbol confirming Vajrasadhu's executive
authority, having been appointed by Padmasambhava himself.