Buddhist Attendant, Possibly a Dakini

late 18th century

Not on view

This dancing goddess, perhaps intended to represent a perfected female being (dakini), honors the Buddhist wheel of wisdom (dharmachakra), which she holds in her right hand, flanked by golden fish and surmounted by a conch, symbols of auspiciousness. In her left she holds a lotus flower, which may relate her to the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. This sheet was part of a larger composition (now lost).

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Buddhist Attendant, Possibly a Dakini
Date: late 18th century
Culture: Eastern Tibet
Medium: Color on paper
Dimensions: Image: 50 1/4 x 33 1/4 in. (127.6 x 84.5 cm)
Overall: 77 3/8 × 33 1/4 in. (196.5 × 84.5 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1938
Object Number: 38.103
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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