MONGOLIAN COLLECTABLES

MONGOLIAN COLLECTABLES

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WEALTH GOD (prosperity) SOLD

Provenance: Sino- Mongolian early 19^th Century

Size:7.75 inches

Material: Gilt bronze

Right hand aloft and astride a magical dragon whose claws surmount a mound of wish-fulfilling jewels we witness the dynamic wealth-giving God Vaiśravana - a worldly Dharmapāla or protector of the Dharma. He is also known as the King of the North. We see Great Golden Vaishravana wearing the jeweled crown symbolic of the Five Transcendent Buddhas. In this iconography the jewel-spitting mongoose - indicating the desire to distribute all wealth to the poor. The dragon shows strong Chinese cultural influences and links it to the mystical powers which are said to grant abundant harvest, life giving rains and prosperity to humanity.

As guardian of the north, he is often depicted on temple murals outside the main door. He is also thought of as a god of wealth. As such, Vaiśravana is sometimes portrayed carrying a citron, the fruit of the jambhara tree, a pun on another name of his, Jambhala (in Tibetan pronunciation Dzambala or Zambala). The fruit helps distinguish him iconically from depictions of Kubera. He is generally represented as corpulent and covered with jewels. When shown seated, his right foot is generally pendant and supported by a lotus-flower on which is a conch shell. His mount is a dragon and the wealth god detatches from the dragon base which is sealed by a copper consecration plate with the double vajra). Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhists consider the wealth god’s sentiment regarding wealth to be providing freedom by way of bestowing prosperity, so that one may focus on the path or spirituality rather than on the materiality and temporality of that wealth. This deity form has two main aspects - that of a warrior protector and that of a deity of wealth. He is seated upon a dragon and holds the cylindrical victory banner (missing from this piece) The victory banner signifies his defeat of the demon gods (asuras). The snow lion shows that he is a great conqueror and roars "dharma truth". He has several names as a protector including that of Kuberu.

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