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A BONE FIGURE OF PANJARANATA MAHAKALA
TIBET, 15TH CENTURY
Himalayan Art Resources item no.61670
3 cm (1 1/4 in.) high
HK$80,000 - 120,000
西藏 十五世纪 骨雕寶帳大黑天像
Panjaranata is a mahakala with two arms that protects the Hevajra
Tantras. This finely carved figure depicts his classic appearance,
squatting over an ignorant human while holding the curved knife
and skullcup, common to most mahakalas, and Panjaranata’s
distinguishing ghandi stick, symbolizing his vow to protect Buddhism.
Although the sculpture can be wrapped in a clenched fist, it exhibits
Panjaranata’s dominance no less than any other. The complex details
in such small scale exhibits the carver’s technical virtuosity. Based on
the deity’s facial type, broad body, and sparse garments, the figure can
be dated to around the 15th century, compared with an ivory roundel
in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2003.495).
Provenance
Robert Bouatta, London, 2001
THE PRESENCER COLLECTION OF BUDDHIST ART | 105
