Yellow Jambhala

Mongolian Collection

Accession Nr.: 67.112.1
Type: sculpture; metalwork; statuette
Date of production:
16th century
Place of production:
Materials: copper; turquise
Dimensions: height: 9.6 cm
The gilded copper bronze small statue preserved in the Museum has similar attributes. The figure’s hair is painted black and there are turquoise inlays on the body jewels. The figure is seated in the lalitāsana posture, on a rounded triangular lotus throne. His right foot rests on a blooming lotus flower. He wears the princely dress and jewels of a bodhisattva. The gem diadem in front of the high uṣṇīṣa is an unusual element. He wears earrings. He has a third eye on the forehead and arched, high eyebrows. He holds a lemon on his right palm, and has a mongoose spitting gemstones under his left hand. The back of the statue is undecorated. On the sealing plate, there is a sketchy viśvavajra. There are signs of attempts to force the sculpture open, but the sacred object within probably remains intact. The statue originates from Mongolia (was brought to Hungary by the participants of the first Hungarian geological mapping expedition of 1966–1969), but the technique suggests that it was made in Western Tibet in the 16th century.