Nepalese Gilded Bronze of Samantabhadra in Yab-Yum

This fine gilded bronze from 18th century Nepal shows the bodhisattva Samantabhadra in yab-yum with his consort the dakini Samantabhadri.

Samantabhadra is seated cross-legged in vajraparyankasana on a double lotus dais. Samantabhadri rests on Samantabhadra’s lap. Her legs and arms have been cast wrapping around Samantabhadra’s body in the erotic yab-yum pose.

The two look into each other’s eyes in an unusually realistic manner; their lips are directly aligned.

Samantabhadra’s body dwarfs that of his consort. His thighs are ample and his hair is depicted as spiky peppercorns darkened with pigment.

Samantabhadri’s body has been cast in a sensitive, curvaceous and erotic fashion. Her hair is shown following the hollow of her back and reaches all the way to her buttocks.

Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri appear to have been cast as one. The lotus platform has been cast separately, and Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri slot into the platform. A pair of lugs at the back of the platform suggest that originally the ensemble had a backing plate.

In Tibetan and Nepalese Buddhism, Samantabhadra is one of the eight main bodhisattva attendants of the Shakyamuni Buddha, ie one of the ‘eight close sons’. Samantabhadra is a key figure in the Lotus Sutra.

The bronze is in fine condition. The gilding is largely intact and has developed a soft hue with age.