China, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Yongle reign (1403-1424) / early 1400s
Virupa
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Virupa as sculpture (China, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Yongle reign (1403-1424) · early 1400s).
Virupa's clothing and jewelry are embellished with silver and stones, while pigments enhance his hair and eyes.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as Gilt bronze with silver, stones, and pigment.
The museum's collection notes: Virupa is one of the great teachers in the history of tantric Buddhism. His posture references his ability to stop the sun; as an enlightened being, he can control phenomena of nature. As a tantric practitioner, he overturns ordinary assumptions about proper behavior, so he overeats, drinks large quantities of liquor, and waits for the king to pay his bill at the tavern. At the edge of the lotus pedestal is an inscription identifying the image as having been made in the imperial kilns of the third emperor of the Ming dynasty in China as a gift to a Tibetan monastic leader. While closely linked to Tibetan styles, the luxurious detailing, speci
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The Cleveland Museum of ArtVirupaOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.