Standing on a lotus base and supported by a towering lotus stem, Vajrapani is depicted wearing a long dhoti finely incised with geometric patterns, tied with a jeweled belt. His hip twists slightly to the left. In his left hand, which falls along his thigh, he holds the stem of a lotus flower, with the blossom supporting a vajra by his left shoulder. He holds the stem of a lotus flower in the right hand. He is adorned with a crown, necklaces, armbands, bracelets and anklets, all inset with semiprecious gemstones.

Typically presented in a wrathful stance as the Great Bodhisattva of Power, Vajrapani in this work is characterized by a serene facial expression, a much less common portrayal. A gilt bronze Vajrapani from 14th century Tibet, in a similar presentation, sold at Christie’s New York on 21 September 2007, lot 190, for $18,750.