Guru Dragpo Votive Plaque, in the shape of a lotus petal / Artist Unknown, Tibet or Nepal
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1985/2.49
- Title
- Guru Dragpo Votive Plaque, in the shape of a lotus petal
- Artist Nationality
- Tibetan or Nepalese
- Medium and Support
- bone
- Object Creation Date
- 18th century
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- China (nation)
- Tibet (autonomous region)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- China (nation)
- Creation Place 3
- Tibet (autonomous region)
- Style/Group/Movement
- Buddhist
- Dimensions
- 30 cm x 19 cm x 8.9 cm (11 13/16 in. x 7 1/2 in. x 3 1/2 in.)
- Century
- 18th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Sculpture
- Primary Object Type
- carving
- Secondary Object Classification
- Ritual Objects
- Secondary Object Type
- plaque
- Physical Description
- A bas-relief carving made of bone and in the shape of a lotus petal, depicting a wrathful guardian of the Tibetan Buddhist faith. At the base of the "petal" are the tops of mountains, with the waves of the sea visible between them; in the rounded part of the "petal," a border of flames encircles a dynamic image of the bodhisattva Vajrapani in his wrathful form. The background behind Vajrapani is incised with closely spaced wavy lines, again suggesting flames.
- Subject Matter
- An incised image of Vajrapâni, the "Thunderbolt-bearer," an important bodhisattva in the Tibetan Buddhist faith, depicted in his wrathful form. He has a third eye, and his hair is depicted sweeping up and back as though on fire. He wears an elephant skin on his back (the elephant's head is just visible behond his right knee) and a tiger skin around his loins. He carries a vajra ("thunderbolt"—a pronged scepter) in his right hand. He stands in a dramatic pose (known as the "alida" stance, or "powerful kick"), often seen in wrathful deites, trampling underneath two figures that represent variously enemies of the faith or ignorance and greed.
- Primary Keywords
- bodhisattva
- bone
- buddhism
- flames
- himalayan
- lotus
- tibet (autonomous region)
- vajrayana
- Secondary Keywords
- asia (continent)
- asian
- associated concepts
- buddhist doctrinal concepts
- china (nation)
- combination inorganic/organic animal material
- combination inorganic/organic material
- descriptors
- design elements
- doctrinal concepts
- geographic and political locations
- materials
- materials by composition
- motifs
- natural element motifs
- people and culture
- plant-derived motifs
- religions
- religions and religious concepts
- religious concepts
- south asian
- styles and periods
- styles and periods by region
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 664 x 1040
- File Size
- 90 KB
- Record
- 1985/2.49
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1985-sl-2.49/1985_2.49.jpg
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Related Links
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- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1985-SL-2.49:1985_2.49.JPG
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- Full citation
-
"Guru Dragpo Votive Plaque, in the shape of a lotus petal; Artist Unknown, Tibet or Nepal." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1985-sl-2.49/1985_2.49.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 27, 2024.