Page 19 - Bonhams Presencer Buddhist Art Collection Oct. 2 2018

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A GOLD-DAMASCENED IRON GAU WITH HUMAN A BRASS ALLOY FIGURE OF A HORSE
BONE FRAGMENT TIBET
EASTERN TIBET, 14TH/15TH CENTURY Himalayan Art Resources item no.61695
Himalayan Art Resources item no.61699 10.8 cm (4 1/4 in.) high
Gau: 13 cm (5 in.) diameter;
Bone: 10 cm (4 in.) long HK$30,000 - 50,000

HK$160,000 - 240,000 西藏 駿馬銅像

藏東 十四/十五世紀 鐵鋄金嘎烏盒配靈骨 The horse is an auspicious animal in the Tibetan Buddhist lexicon,
often appearing as the mount of a worldly protector, who inhabits
In Tibet, the physical remains of spiritually accomplished people and engages with this world. In many instances worldly protectors
are believed to reverberate with sacred energy that benefits those it represent pre-existing spirit-deities that Buddhism absorbs in the
comes into contact with. The enigmatic pattern on this bone fragment process of appealing to local audiences. Dorje Ta’og and Achi Chokyi
might also represent a form of divination. Drolma are examples of Tibetan worldly protectors who ride horses.

Potent objects require special cases, typically with auspicious symbols Provenance
of an ethereal nature. The large iron gau is finely damascened with Mimi Lipton, 1990
a gold dragon encircled by a band of water and alternating floral
patterns. The design is achieved by gently hammering thin strips of
gold sheet into roughened iron. The town of Derge in Eastern Tibet,
famous for this damascening technique, is likely where this early gau
was created. For another example of the shape, see Art Sacré du
Tibet: Collection Alain Bordier, Paris, 2013, p.229, no.124.

Provenance
Mehmet Hassan Asian Art, London, 1980s

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