AN INSCRIBED GILT-LACQUERED ZITAN FIGURE OF TARA TIBET, 15TH – 16TH CENTURY |

There are minor losses and bruises to the tips of the crown. There are losses to the stems on each side of the figure, and other minor losses to the fragile areas, especially the base. As visible in the catalogue photo, there is minor rubbing to the gilt-lacquer decoration throughout.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

It is rare to find a Tibetan zitan figure of this quality in such well preserved condition, with the intricate gilt-lacquer floral decoration on the robes intact. Another closely related zitan figure depicting a monk, with similar gilt-lacquer floral motifs in the John and Berthe Ford collection is illustrated in Pratapaditya Pal, Desire and Devotion: Art from India, Nepal and Tibet in The John and Berthe Ford Collection, Baltimore, 2001, p. 298, pl. 174, where it is assigned to the 15th century. This statue represents Paripacaka Tara, the thirteenth image of a group known as the Twenty-One Taras, based on a text called Praises to the Twenty-One Taras in which the Buddhist goddess appears in different peaceful and wrathful forms. The corresponding verse for this image reads as follows:

'Homage to you, Tara, who dwell within a blazing garland that resembles the fire at the end of this world age;
Surrounded by joy, you sit with your right leg extended and left withdrawn, completely destroying all the masses of enemies.'

She is known as 'Tara who Bestows Maturity', and this particular iconography seems to follow Atiśa's tradition.

The Tibetan inscription on the base reads:
(bcu gsum) // rje btsun ma me ltar 'bar ma bar chad bsrung ba'i bum pa b[s]nams pa la na mo//

Thirteen // Homage to Tara who, being ablaze like fire, carries a vase holding back hindrances.'