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Khara Khoto: Hevajra
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Khara Khoto: Hevajra
CHINA, Inner Mongolia, Alxa; Western Xia period (1032–1227); Ink and color on silk; 88 x 58.5 cm; State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
This image was painted in the 12th or 13th century. Hevajra's body is blue, and atop the head is a skull crown with a seated Buddha image. The left hand holds a skull cup in front of the chest, and the right hand raises a knife. A tantric staff rests in the crook of the left elbow, and a garland of human heads hangs around the neck. Hevajra stands in a dancing posture within a large red mandorla decorated with flame patterns. The left foot is raised and his right foot is placed on the yellow body of a man who lies on his back with his head lifted and both knees bent. |
