Hayagriva is both a tutelary god (ishtadevata) and a protector of the teachings (dharmapala) in Tibetan Buddhism. He is a wrathful form of Avalokiteshvara, the compassionate bodhisattva.
Hayagriva is depicted in an intimate union with his consort in a posture known as yab-yum, meaning "father-mother." In this form, Hayagriva is equipped with wings with vajra points at the tips, symbolizing his protective action. He has three heads, six arms, and four legs. Notably, a horse's head emerges from his hair, which is a unique feature. He uses the power of his neigh to drive out demons and cleanse the spirit of defilement with the speed of a galloping horse. Like many fierce-looking deities, Hayagriva accompanies the practitioner on their quest for spiritual fulfilment.
The divine couple in the artwork has lost most of its attributes, including the lotiform pedestal on which they used to sit. The pedestal showed Hayagriva and his wife trampling two prostrate bodies, representing the passions or demons they are meant to subjugate. Despite these flaws, the artwork is remarkable due to its size, technical excellence, and aesthetic perfection. It reflects the influence of Nepalese toreutics on 15th-16th century Tibetan art, as evident in the use of pure copper melted using the lost-wax method, the inlaying of turquoise and other semi-precious stones, and the well-preserved amalgam gilding. The monumental and somewhat massive bodies, intense facial expressions, and traces of polychromy reveal the uniqueness of Tibetan statuary at its peak.
Type d'objetSculpture
MatériauxGilded copper, attributes in bronze, traces of polychromy