Tibetan or Nepalese Gilded Repoussed Copper Vajra or Dorje Plaque

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This good-sized, decorative gilded copper plaque has been repoussed in high relief with a large, three-pronged thunderbolt (vajra or dorje) motif. The plaque would have been attached to a wall, most probably in a temple or monastery compound. it is perforated with holes to allow such attachment.

It is either Tibetan or Nepalese: Newari craftsmen from the Kathmandu Valley operated in both Nepal and Tibet.

The vajra is an important symbol in Mahayana Buddhism. Originally, the thunderbolt was a weapon of Indra from Indian Hindu legend. Indra became incorporated into Tibetan Buddhist lore as a disciple of the Buddha, and was transformed into the bodhisattva Vajrapani. The vajra emerged as the strongest weapon in the universe and became a symbol of universal compassion of enlightened beings.

The plaque here is in fine condition, and is very decorative.