The ferocious god Vajrabhairava is the wrathful form of Manjushri and a revered meditational deity in the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the dominant religious power in Tibet in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Vajrabhairava also became a prominent Buddhist icon in China under the Qing emperors, who maintained direct links with the dignitaries of the Gelugpa sect, including the Dalai and Panchen Lamas. This form of Buddhism flourished within China under Qing rule, inspiring the construction of numerous temples in and around the capital of Beijing. In the eighteenth century, the Qianlong Emperor promoted himself as a manifestation of Manjushri, establishing his role as a spiritual and political leader. Images of Vajrabhairava, therefore, carried both religious and political implications, promoting Gelugpa spiritual practice while simultaneously endorsing the heavenly mandate of the Emperor.
This small and finely-cast figure of Vajrabhairava is cleverly constructed in a few intricate pieces and expertly fitted together. Striding in alidhasana, he tramples on animals and prostrate figures including Shiva, Vishnu, Indra, Brahma, Kartika, Chandra, Surya and Ganesha, atop a lotus base. In his primary hands he holds a curved knife and skull cup, while his outstretched hands radiate around him. His central face is in the form of a ferocious buffalo, with bulging eyes and flaming brows, and is flanked and surmounted by eight additional faces. Vetali wraps her left leg around his waist, her fiery red hair cascading down her back as she tilts her head back to meet her partner's gaze. She too holds a skull cup in her left hand and a curved knife in her right. The exquisite, detailed casting of the work indicate it was a product of a master metalworker, and in all likelihood this work was cast in the imperial workshops of Beijing or its environs. Compare with a slightly larger example sold at Christie’s Paris, 13 June 2018, lot 217, which also shows the fine casting and powerful modeling typical of the eighteenth-century imperial workshops.