figure (ritual & belief: representations)

Figure of Vaisrawana, the guardian of the north, on a polychrome lotus throne The figure has pale brown skin, blue hair, a beard and moustache and staring eyes. The right hand is raised in the karana mudra with the little finger missing. The left hand holds a mongoose, spitting jewels. He wears a red coat, a green sash and Mongolian boots with white soles, the sides of which are green. Bodhisattva jewels are absent, but earrings and a 5 leaf crown are present. The reverse bears two inscriptions, one in Tibetan script, the other in Nasta'liq Persian /Urdu script.

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

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