Stele with Transcendental Buddhas and Goddesses
c. 1050-1100
Asia: India, West Bengal; Asia: Bangladesh
On View

This is a rare image of one of the five transcendental Buddhas of the Vajrayana pantheon. He holds attributes of both Vajrasatva and Manjusri, two other important Buddhist deities, and is accompanied by four goddesses. Noteworthy are the multiple heads and arms, which signify the figures cosmic nature, and the leaping tongues of flames in the background.

Details

  • Title: Stele with Transcendental Buddhas and Goddesses
  • Date: c. 1050-1100
  • Medium: Chlorite
  • Dimensions: 27-7/8 x 15-1/2 x 4-3/4 in. (70.8 x 39.4 x 12.1 cm)
  • Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
  • Accession Number: F.1972.41.S
  • Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation

Object Information

  • Leoshko, Janice, Asian Art: Selections from the Norton Simon Museum, fig. 17 p. 19
  • Teoh, Eng Soon, The Lotus in the Buddhist Art of India, 2002, pp. 246-247
  • Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 1: Art from the Indian Subcontinent, 2003, no. 149 pp. 192-193
  • Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 853 p. 345
Listen
Audio Tour
English | Español
Read
Audio Tour Transcript
English | Español
Escuchar
Audioguía
English | Español
Leer
Transcripción de Audioguía
English | Español

Image reproduction permission may be granted for scholarly or arts related commercial use. All image requests, regardless of their intended purpose, should be submitted via the reproduction request form.

Images may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. Additional permission may be required.

Approved requests for the reproduction of an image will receive a contract detailing all fees and conditions of use of the image. Upon receipt of both the signed contract and full payment, the Office of Rights and Reproductions will provide the image. A complimentary copy of the published material must be provided to the Norton Simon Museum.

Reproduction Request Form