A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF SADBHUJA MAHAKALA, QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY | 清十八世紀 鎏金銅大力王紅瑪哈嘎啦像
Auction Closed
November 4, 07:52 PM GMT
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF SADBHUJA MAHAKALA
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
清十八世紀 鎏金銅大力王紅瑪哈嘎啦像
standing on an elephant-headed prostrate figure on an lotus base, the principal arms raised before the chest holding a kartrika and a kapala, with the secondary and tertiary arms behind holding various attributes, above a garland of skulls around the round belly, the fierce three-eyed face with exaggerated features, surmounted by a crown of skulls and flaming hair
(2)
Height 19 cm, 7½ in.
Formerly in a French collection, brought back to France by a member of the French Indochine Customs office stationed in Asia in the 1940s and 1950s (by repute).
法國私人舊藏，於上世紀40至50年代由一位法屬印度支那聯邦成員得自亞洲（傳）
This particular figure depicts the Shadbuja Mahakala. Mahakala refers to a more general class of protector deities in Tantric Buddhism which come in different forms. While they are generally depicted as wrathful emanations of Vajradhara Buddha only the Shadbhuja form is an emanation of Avalokiteshvara.
Variations in appearance are found in the different traditions principally the leg postures of Mahakala, the Gelugpa preferring the more wrathful posture with the legs apart such as on the present figure, whose features may be described as follows 'The Lord of Pristine Awareness has six hands. The first two hold a curved knife and skullcup, the middle two a human skull mala and trident, the lowest two a damaru drum and lasso. Adorned with a tiger skin, garland of heads, bones and snakes, and small bells on the hands and feet. Standing in a manner with the two legs together pressing down on Ganapati. With three eyes, bared fangs, eyebrows, beard and hair flowing upward with Akshobhya as a crown'.
Compare with a gilt-bronze figure of Shadbhuja Mahakala with a similar powerful countenance, originally acquired from Josette Schulmann, Paris, sold in Sotheby's New York, 20th March 2013, lot 252, and with a much larger figure of this iconography, sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 3rd October 2018, lot 3698.