Page 63 - Christie's July 9th 2020 Hong Kong Buddhist Art Under Empire

THE PROPERTY OF A SOUTHEAST ASIAN COLLECTOR
2718

AN IMPORTANT BRONZE FIGURE OF
CHATURBHUJA MAHAKALA
TIBET, 15TH-16TH CENTURY
The wrathful protector is seated in lalitasana on a prostrate
human figure over a double-lotus base with a beaded rim. The
principal hands are holding a vajra-tipped flaying chopper
raised directly above a blood-filled kapala (the skull cup), while
both secondary hands in karanamudra, likely originally holding
a sword and a skull-crowned staff. A well-detailed dharmapala
ornament with vajra-tipped finial surmounting the head above
the demonic face, large open bulging eyes, flaming eyebrows,
snarling mouth showing teeth and fangs, and a ‘third eye’ in
the centre of the forehead. He wears a scarf of flayed elephant
hide, a tiger-hide skirt with a loincloth made from a human-
skin, hand and foot secured at the waist and is adorned with
a garland of severed heads, like a sacred cord in the form of
a snake which adds to his macabre appearance. The base is
sealed.
20 ¿ in. (51.4 cm.) high
HK$4,000,000-6,000,000 US$520,000-780,000

PROVENANCE
A Dutch private collection, formed in the early 1990s
Sold at Christie’s Paris, 14 December 2011, lot 197

西藏十五 / 十六世紀 銅四臂大黑天坐像

來源
荷蘭私人珍藏，建立於 1990 年代早期
巴黎佳士得，2011 年 12 月 14 日，拍品 197 號
四臂大黑天傳為勝樂金剛之化身，頭戴五骷髏冠， 三目怒睜，獠牙
呲咧。左手托盛血顱嘎巴拉碗，右手持金剛鉞刀，似欲攪動盌內作
吞食狀，後臂二手則原應持三叉戟及寶劍。頸掛五十人頭瓔珞，身
批白象皮，下穿濕虎皮，腰圍人皮裙，安坐於蓮花日輪屍座上。

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