Mandala of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi (late 1400s): Art, History and Details

Mandala of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi (late 1400s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

A mandala is a two-dimensional diagram of a palace-like structure, viewed from above. This mandala depicts the abode of a 4-headed, 12-armed figure who personifies a major tantric Buddhist text, the Chakrasamvara-tantra. He dances in the bliss of sexual union with his consort, the red Vajravarahi, in the central circle, which is equivalent to the penthouse of their palace. Through guided meditation, practitioners can visualize entering through each of the four gates to experience the beauty of the enlightened realm. The outermost ring of cremation grounds indicates that one must overcome fear of death before reaching the realm of enlightenment.

Object facts

• Title: Mandala of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi
• Date: late 1400s
• Culture: Nepal
• Type: Painting
• Technique: Gum tempera on cloth
• Dimensions: Overall: 40.6 x 35.6 cm (16 x 14 in.)
• Collection: Nepalese Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 1960.211

A detail from the museum

In the corners are four auspicious symbols (clockwise from top left): umbrella (an emblem of royalty), pot (referencing abundance), pair of fish (symbol of productivity), and conch shell (indicating the eradication of obstacles).

Collection credit

James Parmelee Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• “Annual Report for 1960.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 48, no. 6, 1961, pp. 107–147.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.