Statue of the god Yama

Brass statue of the fierce Buddhist god Yama, Tibetan, 1601-1800

Yama is the Hindu god of death, and a wrathful god in Buddhism, said to judge the dead and preside over hell. This bull-headed Yama wears a chain of skulls and stands on a buffalo, which is trampling a corpse. Buddhists who meditate on Yama aspire to overcome their fear of death and intensify their spiritual practices while alive.