Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: Himalayas (104)

Three Tantric paintings on paper representing various celestial beings in the Tibetan Tantric Buddhism. On the first painting are shown a cross-legged character holding a staff, surrounded by clouds and riding a chimera, and below, a group of four female characters. On the second painting, a male character riding a horse and holding a lotus, and below a female character in formal attire...

Shamanic face mask of oval shape, with minimalistic features. Wood, traces of black resin under the nose for attachment of a mustache made of animal hair (now missing). Nice dark patina. Nepal, early 19th century, probably earlier. Height: 9 1/2" (24 cm). The mask is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand. Old accidents and chips, otherwise good condition.

Ritual dagger ("phurpa") formerly used by a shaman during ceremonies. The phurpa is made of wood, and is decorated in relief from top to bottom with three deities heads surmounted by a point, above geometric designs of chevrons and knots, themselves on top of the three blades decorated with snake design in relief. Nice dark-brown glossy patina. Several textile knots are affixed on the handle to "protect" the shaman's fingers from the magic strength of the phurpa. Nepal, 19th century...

Ritual dagger ("phurpa") formerly used by a shaman during religious ceremonies. Wood, with nice dark patina. Textiles attached on top with a chain. Old restoration with a forged metal point on the lower part of the dagger. Nepal, early 19th century. Height: 13 1/4" (32,5 cm). The phurpa is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand. Good condition.

Silver pot with an elaborate embossed decoration consisting in a dragon on its handle, a "makara" on its spout, Buddhist symbols on its neck, and dragons and stylized lotus on its body. Tibet, 19th century. Height: 14.5 ccm. Very good condition.

Fine Tibetan "damaru" (ritual drum), made of silver and leather. The silver part is in the form of two "kapala shaped" parts, separated by a central silver belt, decorated with several turquoise and coral inserts, to which the handle is attached. This silver part is lavishly decorated with an embossed relief design representing foliage and Buddhist symbols. The leather part is painted in green. Two cotton cords, ending in two small balls are also attached to the drum to strike it...

Intricately decorated snuff bottle of baluster shape, with a detailed decoration in relief representing, from top to bottom, a geometric design around the neck, a monster on both sides holding a lozenge frame containing a lapis lazuli on one side and a coral on the other side, the foot representing a stylised lotus. The stopper is also made of silver with a lapis lazuli on its top, and a silver spoon. A small silver chain links the stopper to the body of the bottle...

Finely cast small statue of Krishna depicted, according to tradition, as a mischievous boy, reclining and stealing the butter ball. Krishna is wearing a diadem, at the back of which is a loop suggesting that this statue was originally used as a pendant. Bronze, with with partly encrusted reddish green patina, with traces off ritual material. Nepal, 17th century. Length: 4.9 cm. height: 4.3 cm. Very good condition.

Small statue of Buddha depicting an important stage of his life when, still as Siddhartha, he sat meditating for a long time almost without eating and became emaciated and close to death, before realizing that the way to seek the Truth was not to torture oneself. Siddhartha, with an aureola at the back of his head, sits on a semi-circular throne with a vajra in relief on its front. Gilt copper, with a fine patina. Tibet or China, 19th century, maybe earlier. Height: 8.5 cm...

Small statue of a protector, with a high coiffe, sitting on a rounded base, his hands in praying posture. Strongly eroded wood. Nepal, early 20th century or earlier. Height: 32 cm. The statue is nicely mounted on a custom stand.

Small statue of Bhairava standing on a lotus base, in an aggressive posture, holding Brahma's skull in his left hand, with his right hand raised threateningly. A demon is reclining beside his left foot. Bronze, with dark-green patina. Tibet, early 19th century, maybe earlier. Haight: 3 1/4" !8,3 cm). Lotus base slightly bent in front, otherwise very good condition.

Miniature statue of Buddha Gautama, in formal attire, wearing diadem, a lotus flower beside each shoulder, his hands in "dharmacakra mudra", sitting cross-legged on a lotus throne. Bronze, with fine reddish-green patina. Tibet, 17th century, maybe earlier. Height: 4.9 cm. Erosion due to great age, otherwise very good condition...

Small stela dedicated to Bhairava. The Hindu god is standing on a corpse and holding the snake ("naga") in his right hand, a skull cap ("kapala") in his left hand, and his weapons in his other two hands. Black stone with remnants of ritual material. Nepal, circa 15th century. Height: 5 3/4" (14,5 cm). Mounted on a custom stand. Erosion, otherwise good condition

Small Shiva lingam carved on black stone, with four deities heads in relief around the lingam. The object is eroded with age, and encrusted with remnants of ritual substances, but the decoration is still visible. Nepal, 15th century or earlier. Height: 6.5 cm. Length: 8 cm. Good condition.

Embossed gilt copper plate, with fine details, representing a snarling snow lion, standing. Two small copper rivets above the back of the lion. Tibet, early 19th century, maybe earlier. Height: 7 cm. Length: 8.3 cm. The plate is nicely mounted on a custom wood stand. Very good condition. Collected in Nepal in 1978.

Statue of a household protecting ancestor, sitting on a rounded base, his head with an unusual pointed top, his hands in "namaste" posture. Wood, with fine age patina. Nepal, 19th century. Height: 35 cm. Strong abrasion due to great age, otherwise good condition. Provenance: collected in Kathmandu in 1974.

Statue of Bodhisattva Manjusri, the Budhist deity who fights ignorance, in formal attire, wearing diadem, sitting on a double lotus throne, his hands in teaching posture ("dharmachakra mudra"). Bronze, with remnants of the original lacquering and gilding. Tibet, 19th century. Height: 17.5 cm. Very good condition. IMPORTANT: owing to the heavy weight of the statue, please consult us on the shipping cost.

Statue of Jambhala, also known as Kubera or Vaishravana, wearing necklace, dhoti and diadem, sitting on a double lotus throne, holding the mongoose that spits jewels in his left hand and a currency in his right hand. The statue may have had a mandorla affixed at its back in the past. Bronze, with green and reddish patina particularly under the statue. Tibet, early 19th century. Height: 7 cm. Very good condition. NOTE: Kubera is the Tibetan God of Wealth and Prosperity.