This gilt-bronze figure of Chakrasamvara and his consort, Vajravarahi, highlights the artistry and skill of craftsmen working during the height of the Malla period of Nepal. The present work is distinguished for the circular flaming nimbus, which is modeled after the description of “protection wheels” from the tantras, and is thus encircled with vajras and skulls. One of the most powerful forms, the twelve-armed manifestation is in ecstatic, dance-like embrace with his consort. He strides in a fierce posture, standing on prone figures over a lotus base. He holds a vajra and bell crossed in his primary hands and various implements in the outstretched others. The figure is adorned with garlands of skulls and severed heads, the three faces each with heavy-lidded eyes and furrowed brow surmounted by the tall chignon of hair. His consort, Vajravarahi swings her right leg around his waist. Cradling her tightly in his primary arms, Chakrasamvara gazes with intent into his consort’s eyes.
The worship of the Buddhist deity Chakrasamvara, which translates as Wheel of Bliss, began in Eastern India in the ninth and tenth centuries as part of the Anuttarayoga Wisdom (mother) classification of the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition. One of the most popular deities in Himalayan tantric Buddhism, Chakrasamvara can appear in several dozen different forms, from simple to complex, peaceful to wrathful. They are meant to emphasize different types of meditation practice that are suited for specific types of emotional and psychological characteristics in the tantric practitioners who take on these intricate practices.