Rahula

STYLE: This bronze of the snake-bodied protector deity Rahula counts among the best representations of this deity known. The sculpture elegantly combines a stack of nine heads, a human torso with four arms, and the coiled body of a snake. Although there is no movement depicted, the sculpture does not appear static as the arms are not strictly symmetric and the coil adds a sense of motion. The soft contours of the body contrast with the large jewelry, particularly the large circular disks of the earrings. Due to their multiplicity the faces are smaller than they would be on single-headed figures.

CONTENT: The name Rahula denotes both the personification of the eclipse and an important protector deity emerging from the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. He has nine heads, four arms, and the lower body of a coiled snake (naga) adorned with eyes. His ninth head on top of the stack is a raven, and the bodhisattva Vajrapani stands on it. His four hands hold a sea monster (makara) banner, bow and arrow, and snake noose. Rahula is considered extremely terrifying. He is believed to cause strokes in those practitioners that do not perform rituals correctly or in a timely manner.