Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 24. (Budapest, 2006)
Béla KELÉNYI: Two Trunks from London. Hungarian aspects of the 'discovery' of Nepalese art
in Nepal. 40 (111. 3) A detailed description of his mandala is given in the works Vajrävali and Nispannayogävali written by the Indian Abhayäkaragupta ( 1 l lh /12 lh century). 41 At the centre of his mandala is a five-member family of Buddhas (Skrt.: panca-tathâgata), four members of which are located at the four points of the compass. Each of the figures corresponds to the four-faced, eight-handed form of Manjughosa. The major attribute of the Hopp Museum's statue is the wheel (Skrt.: cakra) held in the lower right hand, which shows that the figure is identical with Mahä-Vairocana, 42 a conclusion reinforced by the offering inscription that runs around the lower part of the plinth. 43 The deity is seated on a one-row lotus throne (Skrt.: vaj rasa na). He has eight hands. On his right side, in his uppermost hand there is a sword (Skrt.: khadga); in the hand below there is an arrow (Skrt.: sara); in the hand below that there is a vajra; and in the bottommost hand the wheel of Dharma (Skrt.: dharmacakra). On the left side, in his uppermost hand there is a lotus (Skrt.: utpala); in the hand below there is a bow (Skrt.'.cäpa); in the hand below that there are the Three Treasures (Skrt.: triratna); and in the bottommost hand a bell (Skrt.: ghantâ). His female companion is sitting on his left knee (Skrt.: lalitâsana); she is holding a wheel (Skrt.: cakra) in her outstretched right hand and her left hand (Skrt.: abhayamudrä) is raised. An oval halo of leaves is attached to the back part of the plinth beneath the lotus throne. In the pierced middle part of the plinth there are two lions, symbolising Vairocana's mount (Skrt.: váhana). It is worth comparing the Hopp Museum's sculpture with one held by the Indian Museum of Calcutta that was produced in the same period. Iconographically, the two are similar, but the halo on the Calcutta piece features a miniature Vajrasattva figure. 44 An interesting iconographical question is raised by the next figure, a three-faced, eighthanded Manjughosa mentioned neither in the Sädhanamälä, nor in the Nispannayogävali. 45 Since it is a standing figure, it cannot be related to the well-known sitting figures. 46 (111. 4) The god is on a double lotus throne; stepping out in pratyâlïdhâsana, he has his right foot on an elephant and his left foot on a human figure. In his right hands he is holding a sword, a flower and a vajra (his third right hand is in varadamudrâ); in his left hands are a wheel, a lasso, a lotus and a bell respectively. His female companion is standing in front of him in the 'three bends' posture (Skrt.: tribhanga); her right leg is crossed and she is holding a vajra in her right hand and a bell in her left. Behind the two figures, there is a halo of leaves and lotuses. On it, a parasol (Skrt.: chattra) is to be seen; on the parasol there is a reliquary (Skrt.: caitya). As the inscription around the back part and lower edge of the lotus throne makes clear, the statue depicts Aksobhya and his female companion Mâmakï, 47 a designation corroborated by the presence of one of his major attributes (the vajra in a middle right hand) and by the fact that he is stepping on an elephant (Aksobhya's mount) with his right foot. Vasudhärä, the six-handed goddess of wealth and agricultural prosperity, is a figure of the Newar Buddhist pantheon. 48 (111. 5) Often depicted, she is sitting in royal posture (Skrt.: lalitâsana) on a one-row lotus throne on a separate plinth, and is resting her leg on a vase (Skrt.: kalasa). Her lower right hand is in varadamudrâ, and in her middle right hand she is holding a jewel (Skrt.: ratna). Her upper right hand shows the gesture of paying homage to the Buddha (Skrt.: tathägata vadana). In her lower left hand, which rests in her lap, there is a vase; in the middle one a spike of rice (Skrt.: dhânyamanjarl); and in the upper one a book (Skrt.: pustaka). Her figure is compassed round by a two-piece halo (supplemented by another one) that is directly connected to the sculpture. Also significant is the fact that according to the inscription, the plinth was made sixty-seven years later, for a Mahä-Aksobhya sculpture. 49 This is corroborated by the two elephants in the pierced middle part of the plinth; it is most probable that the two parts, originally separate, were fitted together just before sale. It is also worth noting that - as the inscriptions say - all three Manjughosa sculptures (and plinths) were offered on the occasion of a funeral ceremony. 5 "
