Page 47 - Christies Indian and Himalayan Art IRVING collection Sept 24 2020 NYC

THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE NEW YORK COLLECTOR

726
A BRONZE FIGURE OF JAMBHALA
TIBET, 15TH-16TH CENTURY
5æ in. (14.6 cm.) high
$18,000-25,000

PROVENANCE:
Private collection, New York, 1990s, by repute.
LITERATURE:
Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 24624.
The present rotund figure depicts the Buddhist
wealth deity, Jambhala. Often confused with the
Hindu god Kubera or the Buddhist Guardian King,
Vaishravana, Jambhala’s unusual appearance
descends from ancient Indian yaksha figures. In
visual iconography, the Hindu god Kubera, also a
wealth deity, and Jambhala are essentially identical,
while Vaishravana can be easily distinguished
by the presence of armor, among other things.
In many representations of Kubera, Vaishravana,
and Jambhala, including in the present lot, the
mongoose that the deity clutches spews jewels,
exemplifying the wealth-granting powers of all
three deities.

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THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE NEW YORK COLLECTOR

727
A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE
OF PADMASAMBHAVA
BHUTAN, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
8 in. (20.3 cm.) high

$8,000-12,000
PROVENANCE:
Private collection, New York, 1990s, by repute.
LITERATURE:
Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 24626.
Padmasambhava is regarded as perhaps the most
important historical and religious figure in Bhutan,
after his introduction of Vajrayana Buddhism to the
country in roughly the eighth century. The present
figure sits atop a double-lotus baseholding a vajra
in his right hand, and a khatvanga in the crook of
his left arm, and dons the identifying hat topped
with a vulture’s feather. The representation of the
lotus base, with its wide, bushy lotus petals, is
typical of Buddhist bronzes from Bhutan.

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