Manuscript Cover with the Bodhisattva Manjushri Flanked by Vajrapani and Avalokiteshvara

Tibet

Not on view

In the center, Manjushri brandishes his sword to cut through ignorance and provide the reader with greater access to the text. At right, Avalokiteshvara holds a lotus and clasps his hands in a gesture of veneration (anjali mudra), addressing the reader’s false sense of reality governed by ego and attachment. At left, the striding bodhisattva Vajrapani provides the energy of enlightenment to empower the subtle doctrine of the text. This three-dimensional carved cover presents these bodhisattvas on thrones in elaborate shrine-like enclosures, which are set within a field of roiling clouds.

Manuscript Cover with the Bodhisattva Manjushri Flanked by Vajrapani and Avalokiteshvara, Wood with traces of gilding and distemper on inner surface, Tibet

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Manuscript Cover with the Bodhisattva Manjushri Flanked by Vajrapani and Avalokiteshvara, Wood with traces of gilding and distemper on inner surface, Tibet
Manuscript Cover with the Bodhisattva Manjushri Flanked by Vajrapani and Avalokiteshvara, Wood with traces of gilding and distemper on inner surface, Tibet

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.