Artwork Details

Title
Vajrasattva
Dimensions
39 1/4 × 25 5/8 × 1/2 in.
Medium
Pigments on cloth
Origin
Tibet
Classification(s)
paintings scroll painting
Date
19th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin
Object number
C2006.66.118
HAR Number
60
Published references
*Mullin, Glenn H. The Flying Mystics of Tibetan Buddhism. New York: Rubin Museum of Art, Serindia Publications, 2006. Plate 30; Pp. 180-183* Van Alphen, J. Collection Highlights: Rubin Museum of Art. New York: Rubin Museum of Art, 2014. Pp. 248-249

Begin your search...

Tantrism

Concepts

A religious movement that originated in India around the fifth to seventh century with sacred writings and esoteric teachings and practices transmitted from teacher to student through initiation. These remain an important part of Hinduism and Buddhism today. 

See more

Meditation

Concepts

A contemplative practice in which a person uses concentration and visualization to achieve aims such as transforming the mind and generating feelings of compassion. Techniques include focusing on breathing or visualizing oneself as a deity.

See more

Bodhisattvas

Figure Type

Beings who aspire to become fully awakened like the Buddha and are dedicated to helping others on the path to enlightenment.

See more

Tibetan Regions

Region

Today, Tibetans primarily inhabit the Tibetan Plateau, situated between the Himalayan mountain range and the Indian subcontinent to the west, Chinese cultural regions to the east, and Mongolian cultural regions to the northeast. During the 7th to 9th century, Tibetan rulers expanded their empire across Central Asia, and established Buddhism as the state religion.

See more
Close

Sign up for our emails

Get the latest news and stories from the Rubin, plus occasional information on how to support our work.

Discover artworks, articles, and more by typing a search term above, selecting a term below, or exploring common concepts in Himalayan art.