Tibet
19th century
Tibet
19th century
On loan from the collection of Sylvie Sauveniere.
Ushnishavijaya is one of the three deities of long life—together with Amitayus and White Tara —and popular in all Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Prayers to and practices focused on her are said to help dispel obstacles for long life. She has eight arms and three faces with three eyes on each face. In her right hands are a crossed vajra, an image of Amitabha, and an arrow. In her left hands are a lasso and a bow. She originally held a long-life vase, now missing. Created in the repousse technique, Ushnishavijaya is adorned with jeweled ornaments. Her face is painted with gold, lips with red, and hair with dark blue pigments. In a traditional Tibetan manner, she is robed in silk brocade garments (namsa). Offering such garments to a deity is believed to generate religious merit, which helps devotees advance on their path and have a good rebirth.
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.
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