Art Institute of Chicago

Goddess Vajravarahi Dancing with Chopper (karttrika) and Skullcup (kapala)

Tibet

Date: 15th century
Medium: Bronze with gold paint and pigment
Culture: Central Tibet
Department: Arts of Asia
Institution: Art Institute of Chicago

The goddess Vajravarahi, one of the many manifestations of Vajrayogini, a tantric female Buddha, is so called because she has a tiny sow’s head (varahi) above her right ear. The wild boar, a ferocious, aggressive animal symbolizes her relentless power to achieve liberation, overcoming all obstacles. She usually dances upon a corpse, absent here, and holds a flaying knife (kartrika) in her raised right hand and a skull cup (kapala) in her left. She is the consort to the god Samvara and is one of the few goddess-spouses to enjoy an independent cult status. She is especially revered by the Drukpas, a sub-sect of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.

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