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An image of Hevajra mandala by
Alternate image of Hevajra mandala by

Unknown Artist

Title
Hevajra mandala
Place of origin
Cambodia
Cultural origin
Khmer
Year
late 12th century
Media category
Sculpture
Materials used
bronze
Dimensions

39.0 x 23.5cm overall; 29.7cm Hevarjra figure height; 9.0 x 23.5 base; 13.0 - 15.0cm approx. six dakini figures

Signature & date
Not signed. Not dated.
Credit
Goldie Sternberg Southeast Asian Art Purchase Fund 2001
Accession number
1.2001
Location
Upper Asian gallery
Further information

This work is a three-dimensional mandala, or cosmic diagram, of Hevajra, who is the chief deity of the Tantric (Vajrayana) Buddhist path to enlightenment. Unlike Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, the Tantric school believed that, with serious application and the guidance of a religious teacher, an initiate could achieve enlightenment in this life. The main exercise was meditation. While meditating, the practitioner focused all his mental energy on a deity, in this case Hevajra, thereby transferring to himself the characteristics of the deity. The cult of Hevajra flourished in Cambodia between the tenth and thirteenth centuries. Here Hevajra stands in the centre on an eight-petalled lotus surrounded by dakhinis, minor female divinities in Tantric Buddhism, and one unidentified other figure.

Asian Art Department, AGNSW, May 2011

Bibliography (12)

Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales: highlights from the collection, Sydney, 2008, 186 (colour illus.), 187 (colour illus.). The colour illus. on page 187 is a detail of this work.

'Goldie Sternberg: Benefactor' by Joanna Capon, pg. 618-620., Art and Australia (Vol. 41, No. 4) Jun 2004-Aug 2004, Jun 2004-Aug 2004, 620.

'New Dimensions', by Jackie Menzies, pg. 54-63., Arts of Asia Nov 2003-Dec 2003, Nov 2003-Dec 2003, 62 (colour illus.). no.18

'Spirit Resonance. In Memoriam Goldie Sternberg' by Edmund Capon, pg. 18-19., TAASA Review Jun 2003, Jun 2003, 18, 19 (colour illus.).

'Goldie Sternberg 1921-2003' by Edmund Capon, pg. 23., Look: 1953-2003 celebrating 50 years May 2003, May 2003, 23 (colour illus.).

The Asian Collections Art Gallery of New South Wales 2003, 2003, 312-313 (colour illus.). The colour illus. on page 313 is a detail of this work.

'New Asian acquisition' pg. 11., Look Jul 2001, Jul 2001, 11 (colour illus.).

'Nolan, Bonnard, and a kid in a lolly shop' by Kelly Burke, pg. 7., The Sydney Morning Herald 12 Apr 2001, 12 Apr 2001, 7 (illus.).

'Pick of the crop for wily Capon: Gallery acquisitions analysis' by Bruce James, pg. 16., The Sydney Morning Herald 12 Apr 2001, 12 Apr 2001, 16.

'A bronze to crown Asian art collection' by Jennifer Sexton, pg. 8., The Australian 12 Apr 2001, 12 Apr 2001, 8 (illus.).

Helen Jessup (United States of America) (Editor), Thierry Zephir (France) (Editor), Sculpture of Angkor and ancient Cambodia: millennium of glory, Washington D.C., 1997.

'Heruka/Hevajra in Khmer Art: a preliminary study' by Pratapaditya Pal, pg. 13-40., Oriental art [vol 40, no 4] 1996, 1996, 13-20. General reference