STATUETTE DE VAJRAKILA EN LAITON TIBET, XVIE SIÈCLE

STATUETTE DE VAJRAKILA EN LAITON
TIBET, XVIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4636 15.5 cm (6 1/8 in.) high

A BRASS FIGURE OF VAJRAKILATIBET, 16TH CENTURY西藏 十六世紀 普巴金剛銅像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sDepicted with three heads, six arms, and embracing his consort is Vajrakila, the embodiment of the same three-sided dagger (phurba) he holds in his principal pair of hands. Draping above his shoulders is a conflation of flayed human and elephant skin, with each of their faces projecting on opposite sides. In this fierce portrayal, Vajrakila destroys all obstacles with resounding force. The alloy and casting quality is typically associated with the Tsang province production of Central Tibet of the 15th and 16th century. Close comparison of the distinctive yellow and green tint of the alloy can be seen in a Mahakala from the Claude de Marteau Collection (Bonhams, Paris, 14 June, 2022, lot 66) and a folk-like representation of Vajrapani in the Essen Collection (HAR 3314731). Also compare with another Vajrakila with the same squat proportions (HAR 31949) and a Virupa attributed to the Tsang province with a single row of broad lotus petals similar to the present lot, sold at Bonhams, New York, 13 March 2017, lot 3086.