id: 154394 accession number: 1989.11.c share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1989.11.c updated: Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda, painting 1600s, embroidery c. 1300. Chöying Dorjé, the Tenth Black Hat Karmapa (Tibetan, 1604–1674). Opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on silk; overall: 40.6 x 6.7 cm (16 x 2 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1989.11.c title: Vajrapani Embroidered Mount with Garuda title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: painting 1600s, embroidery c. 1300 creation date earliest: 1279 creation date latest: 1699 current location: creditline: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund copyright: --- culture: China and Tibet, Embroidery: China, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368); painting: Tibet, 17th century technique: Opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on silk department: Textiles collection: Textiles type: Embroidery find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS * Chöying Dorjé, the Tenth Black Hat Karmapa (Tibetan, 1604–1674) - artist --- measurements: Overall: 40.6 x 6.7 cm (16 x 2 5/8 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS --- PROVENANCE --- fun fact: digital description: wall description: Kneeling and holding his left hand in a gesture of reverential greeting, this Buddhist protector holds a stylized thunderbolt called a vajra, for which he is named. His black body is set off by the gold cloud and flames that stand out from the indigo sky through which birds of prey fly with serpents. His hair stands on end, and his eyes—including his third eye of wisdom—bulge with ferocity. These attributes, plus the powerful bulk of his body, convey his ability to eradicate obstacles to enlightenment. Though unsigned, the painting appears to have been made by a high-ranking Tibetan patriarch. Rare examples of textiles from the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), the upper and lower borders feature the Indian man-eagle Garuda, who in Tibetan Buddhism is associated with Vajrapani. Garuda hovers over the three Islands of the Immortals that rise from the stylized waters of the Eastern Sea, a motif associated with the Chinese religion of Daoism. Cross-cultural visual references to Indian, Tibetan, and Chinese images come together in this remarkable devotional ensemble. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1989.11.c/1989.11.c_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1989.11.c/1989.11.c_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1989.11.c/1989.11.c_full.tif