Dancing Hevajra (Ardhaparyanka) | The Art Institute of Chicago

Arts of Asia

Angkor period, 12th‒13th century or later

Thailand or Cambodia

This small bronze depicts Hevajra, a wrathful tantric form of the Buddha Akshobhya, central to Vajrayana Buddhism. With eight heads, sixteen arms holding skull cups, and a dynamic dance pose trampling ignorance, Hevajra appears alone—unlike Himalayan depictions that include his consort. This Khmer-style image, likely used in ritual, reflects royal tantric practices promoted at Angkor in the late 12th and 13th centuries. Hevajra images found at Buddhist sites in Cambodia and northeast Thailand suggest a broader regional diffusion of this esoteric tradition.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Arts of Asia

Artist: Khmer
Title: Dancing Hevajra (Ardhaparyanka)
Place: Southeast Asia (Object made in:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1101–1960
Medium: Bronze
Dimensions: 14.4 × 6.5 × 4.6 cm (5 5/8 × 2 1/2 × 1 3/4 in.)
Credit Line: Avery Brundage, Samuel Nickerson, and Margrette Dornbusch funds
Reference Number: 1997.546
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/148419/manifest.json

With Douglas Latchford, London, by Apr. 4, 1996 [according to receipt of object and invoice from Douglas Latchford, Apr. 26, 1996, and Nov. 24, 1997; copies in curatorial object file]; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, Nov. 17, 1997.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Suggested Terms

Dancing Hevajra (<em>Ardhaparyanka</em>)

Currently Off View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

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Department

Artist

Title

Place

Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.