This is a gilt-bronze sculpture of Jambhala. Jambhala has a kingly outlook, resting in the royal ease posture (maharajalilasana). He wears a skull crown, his square face frowning, accompanied by...
This is a gilt-bronze sculpture of Jambhala. Jambhala has a kingly outlook, resting in the royal ease posture (maharajalilasana). He wears a skull crown, his square face frowning, accompanied by his moustache and beard. He holds to his left a mongoose which spews precious jewels from its mouth, and a gem-shaped fruit to his right, while a lotus flower blossoms beneath his right foot. Jambhala is the principle wealth deity in Tantric Buddhism. Borrowed from the Hindu pantheon, he is usually depicted as pot-bellied and naked. Jambhala has a diverse range of appearances, including wrathful, kingly, and peaceful, each associating with a certain colour. A seated sculpture like this one is identified as the Yellow Jambhala. The sculpture's relatively liberal depiction of Jambhala shows that it is an earlier piece.