Wrath and ferocity pour forth from the face of the Dharmapala. An element of motion and pace, a kind of dynamism characterises the stance. Such a composure is indicative of the war waged by the Dharmapala against adharma, for the sake of the devotee of dharma. The dharmapala is borne upon a snow lion, a mythical leonine creature known to spew deathly ice and all-annihilating fire in turn. Its composure of countenance is as ferocious as the unforgiving Dharmapala who rides it.
This Dharmapala composition is sculpted from pure copper, a medium that is almost endemic to the great Nepalese sculptural tradition. It is superimposed with a coat of pure gold, such gilded copper works of art being a select aspect of Nepalese handiwork. More aspects of the iconography of Nepalese Buddhist deities abound, such as the flame-like aureole, the pedestal of multicoloured lotus petals, and a palette of strikingly vivid colours.