ticketsMember | Make a donation

Mahamayuri on peacock

Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Xuande mark and period (1426–35)
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 216
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
This majestic statue portrays Mahamayuri, known in Chinese as Kongque Mingwang (Peacock Wisdom King), a protector against calamities and a dispeller of poisons from snakebites. This esoteric Buddhist icon reflects an imaginative fusion of Chinese and Tibetan iconographies in the imperial Ming workshop. In the Chinese Buddhist tradition, the icon often has only one face and four arms, while the icon in Tibetan Buddhism does not usually ride a peacock. This new representation of Mahamayuri continued into later centuries. The meticulous treatment of the bodhisattva’s crown and jewelry and the realistic depiction of the peacock exemplify the highest level of craftsmanship achieved in imperial Ming bronzes.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 明宣德　銅鎏金孔雀明王像
  • Title: Mahamayuri on peacock
  • Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Xuande mark and period (1426–35)
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Gilt copper alloy
  • Dimensions: H. 57 1/16 in. (145 cm); W. 47 1/4 in. (120 cm); D. 25 9/16 in. (65 cm); Wt. 196.4 lb (89.1 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
  • Rights and Reproduction: Photograph bpk Bildagentur / Ethnologisches Museum / Staatliche Museen/Berlin / Germany / Waldtraut Schneider-Schütz / Art Resource, New York
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art