Subject: Fly Whisk
A fly whisk is a common item found in Asia and the Middle East. Similar to a fan, a fly whisk is made of anything that is relatively light in weight to hold that can be moved by the hand to create a disturbance in the air and prevent flies from landing or flying to close to the face, food or a holy object such as a sculpture. Indian and Middle Eastern fly whisks of some quality were traditionally made from bleached yak tails exported from Tibet and the high Himalayas.
Early Gandharan sculpture can be found where retinue figures accompanying the Buddha are holding a fly whisk. In early metal works from the Swat Valley, Gupta and Pala India bodhisattvas can be found standing to the right and left of the Buddha holding a fly whisk.
In later Tibetan paintings there are three arhat/sthavira, Angaja, Vanavasin and Vajriputra along with one attendant, Dharmatala, that are depicted, based on an early text of praise, holding a fly whisk.
[1] On the great snow mountain of Kailash is the noble elder Angaja, surrounded by 1,300 arhats; homage to the one holding an incense bowl and fly whisk.
[3] In the mountain cave of Seven-leaves is the noble elder Vanavasin, surrounded by 1,400 arhats; homage to the one with a pointing gesture and a fly whisk.
[5] On the Island of Singha [Sri Lanka] is the noble elder Vajriputra, surrounded by 1,000 arhats; homage to the one performing a pointing gesture and holding a fly whisk.
Homage to the noble upasaka [layman] Dharmata with the hair in a topknot and a load of books, holding a fly whisk and vase, gazing forward on Amitabha in the sky.
Jeff Watt 12-2013
