A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF MANIBHADRA ON HORSEBACK
A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF MANIBHADRA ON HORSEBACK. The wrathful deity is shown astride a horse standing foursquare and turning its head to the left, all supported on a lotus-petal base with a beaded rim. He wears flowing scarves and a foliate tiara above large, bulging eyes, with the hair gathered in a high chignon surmounted by the tip of a vajra. He holds a water pot in the left hand and raises a chopper (kartika) in the right.
Height: 19 cm (7 1/2 in.)
Qianlong period
Provenance
Robert Willocx (1932–2023), Brussels
This finely cast gilt-bronze figure likely represents Manibhadra, a yaksha general and attendant in the retinue of Vaishravana, the Guardian King of the North, known in Chinese as Duowen Tianwang (多聞天王), one of the Four Heavenly Kings who protect the Buddhist world. As a member of Vaishravana’s martial entourage, Manibhadra is associated with both prosperity and military शक्ति—reflecting the deity’s dual role as protector and bestower of benefits.
The present figure is notably depicted on horseback, an iconography consistent with the mounted attendants and generals accompanying Vaishravana. The water pot, or ritual vase, is associated with purification and the conferring of blessings, while the raised chopper symbolizes the severing of obstacles and hostile forces. This more martial aspect distinguishes the figure from independent wealth deities such as Jambhala, and places it more convincingly within the protective retinue of Vaishravana.
A related gilt-bronze figure of Jambhala on horseback, dated to the 18th century, is illustrated on Himalayan Art Resources (no. 24841). Compare also a gilt-bronze figure identified as Manibhadra, Tibet, 18th century, sold at Sotheby’s London, 13 May 2015, lot 202.
Examples of such mounted attendants remain comparatively rare in Qing dynasty gilt-bronze sculpture.
