We found 151070 price guide item(s) matching your search

A 19th century Chinese Canton porcelain charger: hand decorated in famille rose palette with a central court scene within open outbuildings, surrounded by a border interestingly decorated with precious objects, deer (lu), peony, leopards fighting, butterflies, bats, qilin and a four-clawed dragon (37.35cm diameter)Condition Report: The item has come privately and is good general overall condition. There are some notable rubbing to the gilt on the edge and some minor surface scratches to the top of the plates commensurate with age etc. The underside appears in generally good order, it is noted that there is what appears to be a small 'star crack' visible from the underside but may only be to the glazing as it is viewable from the underside of the base but not from the top of the charger.

A heavy matched hallmarked silver tea service comprising teapot, large two-handled sugar and smaller teapot; the large teapot with finial modelled as a Chinaman seated on a tea chest. Each item with foliate engraved panelled sides and shaped foot. The smaller teapot with some lead solder repairs prevalent to the outside of the body, minor dents to the two-handled sugar, the larger teapot in relatively good order, maker's mark G.R (the larger teapot 21.5cm) and assayed London 1845, the sugar assayed 1847 and the smaller teapot assayed 1849 (total combined weight of  three 1476g)

Six pieces of hallmarked silver and one of silver plate:the hallmarked silver comprising an early 20th century tea strainer, a 19th century sifter spoon, George III silver sugar tongs engraved with bright-cut decoration, a  butter knife with Chester assay marks, a caddy spoon with scrolling finial, a  teaspoon and a  preserve spoon (approx. 145g)the silver plate item being a 19th century double-struck King's pattern stilton scoop. 

A 19th century novelty oak table safe: the hinged door with applied Royal crest above a 'Secure' lock and opening to reveal two drawers with metal handles, lower plinth with registered design number 176550 (16cm wide x 15.5cm deep x 19.75cm high)Condition Report: There is no key to this item. The door closed flat although two of the bullethead-shaped volutes are missing from the left-hand side of the door, as is the archway around the applied crest and escutcheon. If a key could be located the mechanism appears in good original order.

A very large stained wood artist's Lay figure (probably late 19th/early 20th century): with jointed arms, legs, waist and head (81.5cm high x 22.5cm shoulder to shoulder) Condition Report: This item has been privately consigned. There several rubbings, scratches and marks commensurate with age and usage although all of the joints work and are in good condition. no major breaks, splits or restorations noted.

A late 19th / early 20th century hand-decorated Chinese porcelain model of a Karashishi (lion dog / temple guardian) and cub, recumbent and with open mouth displaying teeth and tongue (with restorations) (20cm high x 13.5cm highest)Condition Report: Facing the item - the left ear has been restored and repainted to an approx. 6cm level. A small section of the cub's left-hand ear at the bottom is cracked within the firing process, it also appears that the cub's back right foot has been restored and repainted.

Vintage wrought iron blade sharpening trestle and another item

A Royal Worcester model of Wellingtonfrom a series of Famous Military Commanders modelled by Bernard Winskill, sold together with the original plinth base, a certificate numbered 52 of a limited edition of 750 and the original storage crateIn a good, original condition with no damages or any repairs. The original vendor purchased this as a duplicate item in the 1970s and it is believed to have not been out of the box again until now.

A Royal Worcester model of Napoleon Bonaparteone of a series of Famous Military Commanders modelled by Bernard Winskill, with original plinth base, sold together with a certificate numbered 88 of 750 and the original packing crateIn good, original condition with no damages or any restorations. The original owner purchased this in the 1970s as a duplicate item and it is believed to have been kept in the original crate since purchase. There is some green discolouration to the sword hilt, however.

Eire, Decimal coinage, Twenty Pence, 1992, obv. design on both sides, 3.37g/6h (cf. S 6703). An interesting item; as made £60-£80

Georgian and later hallmarked silver cutlery including Queen's pattern sugar tongs and a Fiddle pattern long condiment spoon, length of longest item 17cm, weight 130g

Italy. Mortier (Pierre), Bergamo Ville des Venitiens dans le Bergamasque...., Amsterdam [1700 - 24], uncoloured engraved city plan, 16 point key plan to the lower right, old folds, trimmed within platemark bottom left for binding purposes, slight spotting, occasional marginal closed tears, 445 x 605 mm, together with Jaillot (Alexis Hubert). Carte Particuliere des Pays qui sont Situez entre le Rhein, la Sarre, la Moselle, et la Basse Alsace..., circa 1700, large engraved map with contemporary outline colouring, on six conjoined sheets, laid on later linen, old folds, some marginal fraying, slight dust soiling, 1395 x 1020 mmQTY: (1)NOTE:The old folds on the first described item would indicate that this example is possibly from a later edition of Blaeu's town book, published by R.C. Alberts in 1724.

Lenthall (John, publisher). A set of 49 (of 52) playing card maps and two explanation cards, circa 1717, uncoloured engraved playing cards in the first state, minor staining and handling marks, each approximately 95 x 60 mm, contained in a modern purpose-made book box in panelled calf with a chemise and recess for the cardsQTY: (49)NOTE:Kathleen Wowk. Playing Cards of the World p.96. Sylvia Mann Collecting Playing Cards. p.136. Sylvia Mann, All Cards on the Table, p.132. A very scarce item of English cartographic history with very few collections in existence. This John Lenthall edition is a re-issue of Robert Morden's playing card maps but without the normal foliate borders which identify a Lenthall issue. Extant examples are rare with the Bodleian Library holding eighteen cards, The Beineke Library at Yale has seventeen cards, and the British Library and Cambridge University Library have none. Although advertised for over thirty years very few copies are recorded in existence today. We cannot find any record of a near-complete pack in this first state and must conclude that it is probably unique.

London. Laurie (Richard Holmes, publisher), Laurie's New Plan of London and its Environs, with an Improved Scale for Ascertaining Distances..., by John Lingard No. 3 Maria Lane, London, being an Original Survey by John Outhett, with all the recent Improvements, 1846, engraved map with contemporary outline colouring, sectionalised and laid on linen, new title pasted over old printing, additional title - "Lingard's Superb and Enlarged New Map of London with Scale and Key to ascertain any Distance over the Metropolis...," and explanatory text below the map, very slight staining, cloth endpapers, 820 x 1090 mm, contained in a contemporary cloth slipcase with a printed label to upper cover, worn and a little bumped, together with three mid-19th century Ordnance Survey maps of Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire, two with contemporary outline colouring, all contained in contemporary morocco slipcases and bindings, various sizes, good conditionQTY: (4)NOTE:The first described item. James Howgego. Printed Maps of London, no. 361, state 7.

Military Maps. A collection of four maps and plans, 18th century, including Menageot (Augustin). To the Honble. Brigadier Guise, This Geometrical plan of ye Camp in ye Isle of Wight, is most Humbly Dedicated by his most Humble & most Obedt. Servts., A.Menageot & Chrisr. Seton, March 16th. 1741, uncoloured engraved plan with a large ornate military cartouche, 355 x 465 mm, together with Brönner (Heinrich Ludwig, publisher). Carte de Guerre de L'armée Alliée de S. M. La Reine de Hongrie sous le Comandementy de sa Majesté le Roy de la Grande Bretagne George II et de Armée du Roy de France Comandé par le Duc de Noailles sure le Maein, circa 1743, uncoloured engraved plan of the Battle of Dettingham, with explanatory text (in English and in French) separately printed and pasted to the vertical margins, old folds, occasional repaired marginal closed tears, backed with archival tissue, 390 x 700 mm, with Mazell (P.). A Plan of Southampton and the Polygon, 1771, uncoloured engraved plan with an inset map of the 'Intended Polygon', this was a 22-acre site based around a twelve-sided polygon comprising of houses, hotels, assembly rooms and taverns - similar to the Royal Crescent in Bath - but the investors went bankrupt and the project stalled and the enterprise ultimately failed, toned overall, slight creasing, vertical margins frayed and creased, 460 x 630 mm, plus an unattributed watercolour plan of he Seige of Gibraltar circa 1727, old 'drawing pin' holes to the corners, slight toning, 225 x 280 mmQTY: (4)NOTE:The first described item: Ashley Baynton Williams, British Broadsheet Maps and Battle Plans. Catalogue 2008, item 27. The young 13-year-old James Wolfe (later General and victor of Quebec in 1759) was present with his father Edward at this camp, from which he wrote home to his mother on 6th August describing the embarkation of troops for Cartagena (letter printed in Wood, 1915. p.5) The second item was the last battle in which a reigning British monarch (George II) led his troops into combat.

Ackermann & Co. (publishers). By Permission of the Patentees, This Engraving of the First Carriage, the "Aeriel" is respectfully inscribed to the Directors of the Aerial Transit Company, March 28th, 1843, hand-coloured lithograph, trimmed to image with the title in a separate mount aperture, image size 225 x 300 mm, mounted, framed and glazed, together with Fairburn (J. publisher). Gurney's New Steam Carriage, December 12th, 1827, etching with contemporary hand-colouring, some creasing and staining, trimmed to the neatline and laid on a canvas album page, with a chromolithographic portrait on the verso, 240 x 355 mm, mountedQTY: (2)NOTE:The first print described is a scarce depiction of William Henson's patented Aerial Steam Carriage. The design was one of the first to conceive of what a 'modern' aeroplane would look like and although plausible on paper - and several models were made - the finished machine never flew because the steam-powered engine proved too heavy. The prints were produced to encourage investors and there are several variants showing the plane flying over various parts of the world.The second item illustrates two examples of Gurney's steam carriages on the road, with a panel of explanations below the image. Influenced by meeting Richard Trevithick, the pioneer of steam propulsion, Cornishman Sir Goldsworthy Gurney (1793-1875) built a steam-powered road vehicle himself in 1823. In 1829, he successfully travelled from Bath to London and back at a sustained speed of 15 mph in his steam carriage, and encouraged by this he envisaged a regular passenger service using steam-driven road vehicles as opposed to a horse-drawn coach. It never materialised, because the influential operators of the mail coaches and associated passenger transport, joined forces to ensure that Gurney was forced out of business.

Theophylactus (Archbishop of Ochrida, circa 1050-1108). In quatuor Evangelia enarrationes, denuo recognitae. Joanne Oecolampadio interprete, Basel, Andreas Cratander, March 1525, [8], 221 leaves, plus final blank, with woodcut device to verso (?8, a-z6, A-M6, N8), title within elaborate woodcut border, depicting God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit surrounded by a heavenly host, symbols of the four evangelists, and the thirteen apostles, contemporary ownership inscription in ink below the title date 'Mychaell Shirbroke booke', first page of main text with elaborate decorative woodcut border, with large woodcut initial to verso, numerous smaller woodcut initials throughout, several woodcut head- and tail-pieces, colophon to verso of N7, with contemporary manuscript inscription in brown ink below 'Ex libris Cuthberti Shirbroke de Thurveton infra decanatum de Broke Norwicens diocesis cl[er]ici', occasional contemporary manuscript annotations in brown ink to margins (presumably by Cuthbert Shirbroke or Sherbrooke), unobtrusive peppering of worm, mainly to front of volume, not affecting legibility, marginal waterstaining to the second half of the work, becoming somewhat heavier to the final 12 leaves, minor marginal fraying to first and last few leaves (not affecting text), contemporary blind-decorated full calf upper and lower covers only, over modern antique-style brown calf over wooden boards, with clasps (thongs renewed), folioQTY: (1)NOTE:Provenance: Cuthbert Sherbrooke of Norfolk, rector of Rockland and Thurton (Thurveton), active 1530-1537, with his inscription below the colophon on N7.A number of books bearing Sherbrooke's ownership inscription were discovered in 1912 in a locked cupboard at Oxton Hall in Nottinghamshire, and were sold at Sotheby's the same year (28 June, lots 439-465), amongst which the present work was presumably included. Four volumes belonging to Cuthbert Sherbrooke are identified by Margaret Lane Ford in Private Ownership of Printed Books, The Cambridge History of the Book in Britain (2014), pages 212-13. See Bernard Quaritch, Manuscript Waste, 2019, item 11.Adams T587; BM STC German, 113.Second edition of Theophylactus' commentary on the New Testament, translated by Johann Oecolampades.

Klaxon type horn, painted in black, approx. 29cm long (sold as collectors item)

An Anglo Chinese amboyna wood military style desk, inlaid with bone and ivory,ebonised and with brass fittings, the cupboard section opening to a fitted interior of drawers and pigeonholes, the base with sliding lid to writing surface and fitted interior and modelled as three dummy drawers, each pedestal with three further drawers and raised on turned legs. Height 142 cm, width 110 cm, depth 61 cm. NOTE - The drawer handles and medallions and possibly the stringing are ivory. The item being pre-1947 and with less than 10% ivory has been registered by the vendor with the Animal & Plant Health Agency, Ref. MLCBV5UB and can legally be sold (see illustration).

MORRISSEY ( The Smiths ) A LARGE WINDOW PROMOTIONAL DISPLAY / POSTER - Shop Display for the album `Southpaw Grammar`It measures approx 18 inches by 70 inches. It is made from a plastic laminated material and quite brittle but does roll. It has some damage at the top of the poster and a few small tears but is a collectable item from 1995

MORRISSEY ( The Smiths ) A LARGE WINDOW PROMOTIONAL DISPLAY / POSTER - Shop Display for the album `World of Morrissey`It measures approx 18 inches by 70 inches. It is made of paper and rolls but it does have some damage but is a collectable item from 1995.

A vintage mid 20th century (circa 1960s) Dubreq Stylophone pocket electronic organ. The lot come in its original box with instruction manual and demonstration record. The item, outside of the box, measures approx. 15 x 10cm. The item is sold as untested but appears in working conditions. 

An assortment of three 20th century Chinese serving platters and vase. The lot to include two serving platters of circular form and floral patterns. Together with a double gourd vase with chinese dragons handles. Largest item measuring approx. 42 cm in diameter.

A pair of vintage 20th century brass eagles desktop ornaments. The eagles having outspread wings on a naturalistic base. Each item measuring approx 15cm high.

Two  20th century cast iron pull lever money banks in the form of an African American woman and man. Lever to the back that influences hand. The male shaped money bank marked " Jolly Boy Bank" to the back. Tallest item measuring approx. 20cm tall. 

Reliquary of Saint Fortunata. Spain or Naples, 16th century.Carved, gilded and corollated wood.It presents faults, restorations and losses.Measurements: 25 x 17 x 12 cm.Reliquary in carved, gilded and corleada wood representing Saint Fortunata, with a perfectly defined bust. It stands on a quadrangular base on which the saint's name is written.Reliquaries of this type were somewhat common from the Gothic period onwards, usually referred to as "testas" in documentation contemporary to their production and used to contain relics of the head, as carvings of arms, etc. were used for relics of other parts of the saint's body. It should be remembered, however, that at that time practically any item that had been in contact with the saint or his mortal remains (cloths, burial soil, etc.) was considered a sacred relic. The evolution of the centuries can be seen in the details of the carvings.

STATUETTE DE BOUDDHA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE INCRUSTÉ D'ARGENTVALLÉE DE SWAT, VIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4833 10.5 cm (4 1/8 in.) highFootnotes:A SILVER INLAID COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BUDDHA SWAT VALLEY, 7TH CENTURY 斯瓦特 七世紀 銅錯銀佛陀像 Published: Arman Neven, Sculpture des Indes, Brussels, 1978, p. 72, no. 30. Ulrich von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p.70, pl. 3E. Jan van Alphen, Cast for Eternity, Antwerp, 2003, pp. 70-1, no. 14. Exhibited: Sculpture des Indes, Société Générale de Banque, Brussels, 8 December 1978 - 31 January 1979.Cast for Eternity, Antwerp Ethnographic Museum, Belgium, 12 April 2005 - 26 June 2005. Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s The bronze-caster has skillfully conveyed the Buddha's enlightened consciousness with a compassionate expression illumined by silver-inlaid eyes and urna. The iconography of the Seated Buddha raising his right hand in the gesture of reassurance (abhaya mudra) is rather unusual for sculptures of the Swat Valley, most of which depict him extending his right hand in the gesture of charity (varada mudra) instead. The iconography derives from earlier Gandharan sculptures (see for example, a 6th-century Gandharan standing Buddha at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1981.188a,b), suggesting that the present work is likely among earlier sculptures created in the Swat Valley around the 7th century. In the 5th century, the Swat Valley, located in the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains in modern-day Pakistan, served as a refuge for Buddhist practitioners, as Huns raided the monasteries scattered throughout ancient Gandhara's lush plains. Buddhist bronzes from the Swat Valley therefore constitute an important artistic and religious link between the former civilization of Gandhara, the Gupta period of Northern India, and the rising states of Kashmir, Gilgit, and Western Tibet. Here, the pronounced parallel folds of Buddha's robe are clearly inspired by the Gandharan style, which was in turn influenced by Hellenistic traditions. On the other hand, his pronounced eyes, fleshy cheeks, incised long eyebrows, and small hair curls are all congruent with the Gupta idiom. While, the thick, V-shaped pleats around his neck are commonly seen in later Kashmiri bronzes. Several stylistic features of the present sculpture are consistent with other early Swat Valley images attributed to the 7th century. The treatment of Buddha's robe, using parallel folds to emphasize volume while revealing supple musculature around the chest, is closely related to two other 7th-century bronzes – one formerly in the Lahiri Collection (Christie's, New York, 14 March 2016, lot 44), the other in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Pal, Bronzes of Kashmir, 1975, pp. 88-9, no. 20). The three bronzes also share the same facial and lotus petal types. The distinctive, tightly-waisted lotus base, with artichoke-shaped petals covering the lower half and a plain, conical upper half, compares closely to another Swat Buddha at the Harvard Art Museums (1989.57). Also see other Swat bronzes made during the 7th-8th centuries published in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. 1, 2001, pp. 32-3, nos. 2A-E.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE MAITREYA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVREVALLÉE DE SWAT, CIRCA VIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4861 19.8 cm (7 3/4 in.) high Footnotes:A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MAITREYA SWAT VALLEY, CIRCA 7TH CENTURY 斯瓦特 約七世紀 彌勒菩薩銅像 Published: Arman Neven, Sculpture de Indes, Brussels, 1978, p. 73, no. 31. Ulrich von Schroder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 92, no. 10A. Jan van Alphen, Cast for Eternity, Antwerp, 2003, p. 73, no. 15. Exhibited: Sculpture des Indes, Société Générale de Banque, Brussels, 8 December 1978 - 31 January 1979. Cast for Eternity, Antwerp Ethnographic Museum, Belgium, 12 April 2005 - 26 June 2005. Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s One of Claude de Marteau's prized possessions for over forty years, this important and handsome Maitreya figure exhibits some of the finer characteristics of sculpture from the Swat Valley, inviting comparison with a well-known and highly regarded Maitreya in the British Museum (Pal, Bronzes of Kashmir, 1975, pp. 200-1; von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, no. 11D). Both figures sit regally on a lion throne, holding an emblematic flask (kamandalu) between long, delicate fingers. The confidence and skill of the creator of the present sculpture are clear from the inherent vitality possessed by the youthful figure, whose torso is muscular and supple, as sumptuous as the lotus base's swollen petals. The verdant valley of Swat, located in modern-day Pakistan, fell within the cultural boundaries of Ancient Gandhara's Buddhist civilization. Hundreds of monastic sites were established in Swat before the 2nd century CE. Secluded within the lush foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains, Swat later served as a crucial bastion for Buddhism as political and economic stability diminished in Gandhara Proper due to the dissolution of the Kushan Empire and recurring Hun raids. As a result, a small but exciting school of Buddhist sculpture flourished in Swat between the 6th and 10th centuries, incorporating artistic elements from the various empires that controlled portions of the broader region over time. The intriguing cosmopolitan aesthetic of Swat bronzes is reflected in this Maitreya. While much of the Gandharan taste for Greco-Roman realism is lost, the long hair, commanding posture, and pleated vestiture still arguably harken back to some of Gandharan art's key idioms. Meanwhile, the Swat craftsman responsible for this bronze probably drew extensively from the art of the Gupta period (4th-6th century), considered the Golden Age of Indian art, which here informed the fleshy physiognomy, large-beaded necklace, bare chest, floral-medallion armbands, slender waist, lightweight lower garment, and broad unfurling lotus petals. These features are represented in Gupta sandstone sculptures of Avalokiteshvara in the National Museum, New Delhi (Pal, The Ideal Image, 1978, p. 20, fig. 4), and Vishnu in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (17.1015). Remarkably, the origins of the strips of cloth hanging from his crown behind the ears can be traced to the Sasanian Empire (3rd-7th century; see Pal, The Ideal Image, 1978, p. 117).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUETTE DE LOKESHVARA PADMAPANI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVREKASHMIR, CIRCA XIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4862 11.5 cm (4 1/2 in.) high Footnotes:A BRASS FIGURE OF LOKESHVARA PADMAPANIKASHMIR, CIRCA 11TH CENTURY克什米爾 約十一世紀 蓮華手觀音銅像Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sBearing a lotus flower in one hand, this lissome figure can be recognized as Padmapani Lokeshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Indeed, one cannot help but notice the dexterous and tensile maneuvering of the lotus flower's stem as it shoots skyward and snakes behind his hand before adjoining the flaming mandorla. Certain details—such as long, narrow legs and a foot teetering over the edge of the platform—are artistic conventions that found favor across the Western Himalayas and flourished between the 10th and 11th centuries. This Padmapani's lower garment, large beaded necklace, small plump face, and flaming mandorla are all hallmarks of bronzes from Kashmir, of which others are published in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, pp. 123-4, nos. 18F & 19B, and one standing Avalokiteshvara is in the Walters Art Museum (54.3027).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE KAPALADHARA HEVAJRA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVREINDE DU NORD-EST, PÉRIODE PALA, XIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4803 14.7 cm (5 3/4 in.) highFootnotes:A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF KAPALADHARA HEVAJRA NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, 12TH CENTURY 印度東北部 帕拉時期 十二世紀 喜金剛銅像 Published: Jan van Alphen, Cast for Eternity, Antwerp, 2003, p. 85, no. 20. Exhibited: Cast for Eternity, Antwerp Ethnographic Museum, Belgium, 12 April 2005 - 26 June 2005. Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sThis intimate casting of one of Tantric Buddhism's foremost meditational deities (yidams) depicts the 'Mother-Father' (yab-yum) union of Hevajra and Nairatmya, embraced in an interpenetrative cosmic dance. This sixteen-armed form known as Kapaladhara Hevajra, shows Hevajra holding an array of skull cups, with eight containing animals representing the Eight Diseases, and the other eight containing deities representing the corresponding cures. His consort, Nairatmya, is a tantric manifestation of Prajnaparamita, the mother of all Buddhas. Together they dance in unison, vanquishing disease and ignorance underfoot, and bestowing health and good fortune on the practitioner. Created during the late Pala period (11th-12th centuries) in Northeastern India, the birthplace of Tantric Buddhism, this sculpture is among the earlier surviving representations of Kapaladhara Hevajra in bronze. Since most Pala sculptures that remained in India were lost or buried during the Muslim invasions of the early 13th century, the present work's un-encrusted surface and buttery patina almost certainly indicate that it was brought to Tibet soon after its creation, during a period known for Tibet's apprenticeship of Indian Buddhism. The application of cold gold, red, black, and white pigments to the deities' faces and hair was also ritually performed in Tibet. The refined details and sensuous modeling are typical of high-quality bronzes from the late Pala period, achieving the impressive complexity of a multiarmed, multiheaded, and multifigured arrangement within a single casting. Each of Hevajra's eight faces is afforded crisp, handsome features, with six behind the main face surveying different directions, and an additional face emerging from his flaming hair just under the visvavajra finial. The thick, red pigments applied to his chignon are partially lost, especially on the raised edges, revealing the meticulous depiction of his hair underneath. Another superb, closely related example of this rare subject surviving from the Pala period is preserved in the Potala Palace, Lhasa, and published in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. I, 2001, p. 303, nos. 102D-E.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUETTE DE DEVI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRENÉPAL, DÉBUT DE LA PÉRIODE MALLA, CIRCA XIIIE SIÈCLE With remains of gilding. Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4865 14.5 cm (5 3/4 in.) high Footnotes:A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF DEVI NEPAL, EARLY MALLA PERIOD, CIRCA 13TH CENTURY 尼泊爾 馬拉王朝早期 約十三世紀 女神銅像  Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s This charming goddess displays the sensuousness and restraint of ornamentation found in Nepalese sculpture of the Early Malla period (13th/14th century). With only a single semi-precious gemstone inserted into each article of her regalia, the viewer can better contemplate the sublime body of a divine being with less visual distraction. Meanwhile, her breasts are concealed by a barely discernible, diaphanous sash, and the rippling pleats of her lower garment lead the eye down across her supple thighs, accentuated by her graceful leftward sway. The sculpture has been cherished under the devotee's thumb, and rubbed to a buttery, chocolate-brown surface following centuries of propitiation for the goddess' blessings. Holding the stem of a partially unfurled lotus, the goddess likely represents either the Buddhist savioress Tara or the Hindu goddess of prosperity Lakshmi. Two closely related examples have either of these designations; one is published in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p. 345, no. 88F, while the other is located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1987.142.355). Attributed some years ago, the Metropolitan's piece is identified as Lakshmi because of the Garuda mask appearing in her crown (Garuda is the mount of Vishnu, who is Lakshmi's consort). However, there are numerous Newari Buddhist sculptures of Tara's counterpart, Avalokiteshvara, featuring a Garuda mask in his crown (see Bonhams, New York, 16 March 2021, lot 309), only further illuminating how Hinduism and Buddhism made use of a common visual language to represent the divine or enlightened being, and their patrons employed the same Newari artisans to create these devotional objects. The Metropolitan Lakshmi is attributed to the 13th century, but her more rounded physique and exaggerated stance might indicate a later date, potentially serving as a foil for locating the present sculpture—and the aforementioned published Tara it bears closer resemblance to—within the 13th century.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE MANJUSHRI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉKHASA MALLA, XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4835 18 cm (7 1/8 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRI KHASA MALLA, 14TH CENTURY 卡薩馬拉 十四世紀 銅鎏金文殊菩薩像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sThis richly gilded bronze represents Manjushri, whose interlocking fingers forward the wheel of the Dharma (dharmachakrapravartana mudra). In turn, he gives rise to his sutra and sword attributes, which are supported by a pair of sinuous lotus flowers. Seated in a relaxed state of meditation, the Bodhisattva of Perfected Wisdom gently sways his torso and tilts his head with eyes half-shut. Black and red pigments applied to his eyes and lips through a ritual beautification practice contrast exceptionally well with his warm, golden complexion. Stylistically, the delineation of Manjushri's finger joints suggest that this gilt bronze originated from the Khasa Mallas, whose kingdom was located near the artistic centers of Pala India, West Tibet, and the Kathmandu Valley (see Alsop, 'The Metal Sculpture of the Khasa Malla Kingdom' in Singer & Denwood (eds.), Tibetan Art, Towards a Definition of Style, London, 1997, pp. 68-79). In this instance, the Khasa Mallas' contact with artists of the Kathmandu Valley is most evident from the image's wide forehead, powerful upper body, and a dhoti incised with leaf and rice-grain decorations. This remarkable figure compares favorably to two Nepalese bronzes of Manjushri sold at Bonhams, New York, 23 September 2020, lots 613 and 615, of which the latter example shares the present piece's facial features and muscular proportions. Beneath the legs, the placement of a sash that has been cast on the base rather than on the figure itself is a strong diagnostic characteristic of the Khasa Malla style, which can also be seen on an image of Bhaishajyaguru sold at Sotheby's, Paris, 23 June 2016, lot 137, and an image of Shadakshari Lokeshvara sold at Bonhams, New York, 23 July 2020, lot 848.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE BOUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉKHASA MALLA, XIII/XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4855 31.5 cm (12 3/8 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA KHASA MALLA, 13TH/14TH CENTURY 卡薩馬拉 十三/十四世紀 銅鎏金釋迦牟尼像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s This grand image of the Buddha is one of only a handful of large bronzes attributed to the Khasa Malla kingdom, whose territory comprised parts of Western Nepal and Tibet between the 12th and 14th centuries. The juxtaposition of this Buddha's warm, quiet demeanor and his formidable, robust physique strikes an accomplished balance conveying benign yet supreme authority. Although the mysterious kingdom of the Khasa Mallas was known to Western scholars from epigraphical sources by the 1950s, it was Ian Alsop's pioneering research on a peculiar gilt-bronze female figure in the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington D.C. (1986.23M) that spurred awareness of the Khasa Mallas' visual culture (Alsop, 'The Metal Sculpture of the Khasa Malla Kingdom' in Singer & Denwood (eds.), Tibetan Art, Towards a Definition of Style, 1997, pp. 68-79). Subsequently, a growing number of objects have been assigned to their avid promotion of Buddhism, whose aesthetic was informed by prevalent styles circulating in neighboring kingdoms and the lands the Khasa Mallas controlled or raided. For example, numerous features of the present sculpture show clear borrowings from the Malla kingdom, centered in the Kathmandu Valley, including the thick beading running along the robe's 'rice-grain' hemline, the floral medallions tucked behind the Buddha's ears, his beaked nose, and the fishtail sash draped over his left shoulder. Compare these features with three Malla Buddha sculptures sold at Sotheby's, New York, 25 March 1999, lot 39; Sotheby's, New York, 1 April 2005, lot 52; and Christies, New York, 13 September 2017, lot 620. Chief among the diagnostic traits that can identify a work from the Khasa Malla kingdom is the representation of the joints of each finger, displayed in this Shakyamuni's right hand, lowered in the gesture of 'calling the Earth to witness' (bhumisparsha mudra). The 'rice-grain' pattern, an inlaid turquoise urna in the shape of a teardrop, and the manner in which his eyebrows terminate at the nasal bridge are other features found among Khasa Malla sculptures. All are shared by a Buddha of similar scale in the Rubin Museum of Art (C2006.24.1), and two other large Khasa Malla Buddhas sold at Bonhams, Hong Kong, 2 December 2020, lot 1010, and Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3019.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUETTE DE BOUDDHA EN LAITONTIBET, XIIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4844 11.8 cm (4 5/8 in.) high Footnotes:A BRASS FIGURE OF BUDDHA TIBET, 13TH CENTURY西藏 十三世紀 佛陀銅像 Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sJudging by this figure's serene presence, the sculptor envisioned the historical Buddha's moment of enlightenment as one of quiet realization. Many of the bronze's visual traits, such as the facial features, snail-shell curls, close-fitting monastic robe, and satisfyingly plump lotus petals are borrowed from the Pala Indian tradition, prevalent when the casting of Buddhist bronzes began to proliferate in Tibet. Compare to other early Tibetan bronze Buddha images now in the Museum Rietberg, Zurich (von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p. 179, no. 33F); in the Pelkor Chode, Gyantse (von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. II, 2001, p. 1191, nos. 322E-F); and one with a corresponding lotus base, recently sold at Nagel Auktionen, Stuttgart, 30 October 2015, lot 297.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE VAJRASATTVA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRETIBET OCCIDENTAL, XIII/XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4860 23.2 cm (9 1/8 in.) high Footnotes:A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VAJRASATTVA WEST TIBET, 13TH/14TH CENTURY 藏西 十三/十四世紀 金剛薩埵銅像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sThe bronze depicts Vajrasattva with his most popular iconography, seated while holding a vajra before his chest and a bell by his left hip. As the Primordial Buddha, Vajrasattva represents the essence of the Buddhahood and is frequently invoked for a rite of purification before undertaking most Tibetan Buddhist tantric instruction. The broad, flat shape of the lotus petals around the base, and the way in which the scarf framing the figure is cast with supporting rods, indicates this image was cast in West Tibet within the 13th or 14th century. For comparison, see a Ratnasambhava in the Zimmerman Collection, published in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p. 180, no. 34A, and a standing Avalokiteshvara with similarly prominent fanning crown ribbons behind the temples in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2003.339).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE VAJRAPANI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRETIBET, XII/XIIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4832 20.6 cm (8 1/8 in.) high Footnotes:A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VAJRAPANI TIBET, 12TH/13TH CENTURY 西藏 十二/十三世紀 金剛手菩薩銅像 Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s This early Tibetan bronze offers a spirited depiction of Buddhism's primary protector deity, Canda Vajrapani (lit. 'fierce thunderbolt-wielder'). His large belly and disproportionate head convey a dwarfish appearance that betrays Vajrapani's ancestry as a yaksha in Indian Buddhism. (In the Sadhanamala, an important Vajrayana treatise on iconography composed between the 5th and 11th centuries, Vajrapani is referred to as a yaksha-general.) With snakes underfoot and left leg fully cocked, he leans on his right knee in 'warrior pose' (pratyalidha), while brandishing a nine-pronged vajra and displaying the gesture of expelling harmful phenomena with his left hand (karana mudra). His bulging eyes stare intently as he snarls. Heightened by the contrasting orange and cold gold paint, his expression bears a ferocity dispelling any doubt that he would not subdue whatever threatened the Buddhist follower. The orange pigment, along with the flame-like serrated edge of the oval mandorla behind him, allude to fire's symbolic power to consume and transform, like Vajrapani's capacity to purify negative ailments obstructing the practitioner. Inspired by the many portable bronzes that Tibetan pilgrims brought from Northeastern India, this sculpture represents an early Tibetan image drawing heavily on the models of the Pala style of the 12th century. Examples of such Pala bronzes preserved in Lhasa monasteries are published in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. I, 2001, pp. 302-3, nos. 102A & C. Compared with later Tibetan bronzes, the present figure exhibits a restraint of ornamentation that was informed by an Indian emphasis on the beauty, strength, and power of the relatively unclad divine body. This connection is also evident in the broad, flattened lotus petals around the base. Two early Tibetan bronzes of Acala also preserved in Lhasa monasteries form good points of comparison for the present bronze (ibid., Vol. II, p. 1113, nos. 291B-D).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE MANJUSHRI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRETIBET, XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4841 28.5 cm (11 1/4 in.) high Footnotes:A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRITIBET, 14TH CENTURY西藏 十四世紀 文殊菩薩銅像Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, New York, by 1967Seated in the diamond attitude (vajrasana) and wielding a sword above his head, Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, cuts through ignorance with the downward slash of his blade. In his left hand, he pinches the stem of a blue lily, which blooms his main attribute: the rectangular, palm-leaf pages of the Prajnaparamita-sutra or the Perfection of Wisdom sutra. Several of the bronze's stylistic features derive from northeast Indian art of the Pala period, such as the lithe torso, the exaggerated dip in the eyelids, and the puckered smile. Indian bronzes with these characteristics include a figure of Manjushri in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, published in Pal,Indian Sculpture, Volume 2: circa 700-1800, 2003, pp. 185, no. 87, and a brass image of Maitreya formerly of the Nyingjei Lam Collection sold at Bonhams, New York, 23 September 2020, lot 604. Moreover, the use of metal rods to stabilize the crown, the manner in which the tall flanking lotus stems add structural support for the figure, and the bulbous petals around the base are common features of an early Tibetan sculptural style informed by its neighbors that was cast in a non-gilded brassy alloy. This type of Tibetan craftsmanship, popular during the 13th and 14th centuries, is further exemplified by two brass images located in the Shalu Monastery (von Schroeder,Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, vol. II, 2001, pp. 1183, nos. 318D & E).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE VAJRADHARA EN LAITON INCRUSTÉ D'ARGENTTSANG, TIBET CENTRAL, XVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4840 24 cm (9 1/2 in.) high Footnotes:A SILVER-INLAID BRASS FIGURE OF VAJRADHARA TSANG, CENTRAL TIBET, 15TH CENTURY 藏中 十五世紀 銅錯銀金剛總持像 Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s The primordial Buddha, Vajradhara, crosses a vajra and bell before his chest (vajrahumkara mudra), symbolizing the perfected union of wisdom and compassion that is Buddha-consciousness, and into which the human ego can blissfully evaporate. His sublime body is clad in a lower garment with patterned floral hems, and a scarf that drapes over his shoulders before sweeping around the elbows and falling to his sides. His crown consists of five tall leaves, representing each of the Five Presiding Buddhas. The sculpture is a superior example of the non-gilded, brassy, and frequently inlaid style favored in Tsang province of Central Tibet. This alloy can be brought to a high polish, achieving an attractive buttery patina, as seen on the figure's back. Vajradhara's squarish countenance and accentuated smile are also characteristic of Tsang style. A 15th-century date is supported by the particular rippling of the lower garment around the shins, and the long, densely packed lotus petals around the base, which Tibetan craftsmen adopted from imperial Chinese Buddhist bronzes that were sent to powerful Tsang monasteries by the Yongle emperor (1403-24). Similar Tsang bronzes of Vajradhara are kept in the Johkang, Lhasa; the Rubin Museum of Art, New York (C.2005.37.1); and a private collection (see von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. II, 2001, p. 1193, no. 323B; HAR 90823; and HAR 30586, respectively).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE MANJUSHRI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉNÉPAL, FIN DE LA PÉRIODE MALLA, XV/XVIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4863 16.4 cm (6 1/2 in.) highFootnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRINEPAL, LATE MALLA PERIOD, 15TH/16TH CENTURY尼泊爾 馬拉王朝晚期 十五/十六世紀 銅鎏金文殊菩薩像 Published:Arman Neven, Le tantrisme dans l'art et la pensee, 1974, no. 384. Exhibited:Le tantrisme dans l'art et la pensee, Palais de Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles, 7 March - 10 April 1974.Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sThis tranquil four-armed figure of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, wields a bow and arrow, a sword and a teaching. While ritual supplication and ablutions have worn away some of the gilding on the cheeks and forehead, the bodhisattva's crisp, handsome features are well preserved. Related bronze sculptures of Manjushri from Nepal's Late Malla period include an example in the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena (Pal, Asian Art At the Norton Simon Museum, vol. II, 2003, pp. 96, no. 62), and two sold at Sotheby's, New York, 20 March 2013: one which shares a similar expression (lot 203), and another with a similarly pointed aureole (lot 208). Also, compare a bronze in the Denver Art Museum (von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p. 377, no. 100F).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE MANJUVARA ET PRAJNAPARAMITA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉNÉPAL, DATÉ 1779 APR. J.-C.The back of the base has a dedicatory inscription dated Samvat 899 corresponding to 1779 CE.Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4854 32.5 cm (12 3/4 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUVARA AND PRAJNAPARAMITANEPAL, DATED 1779 CE尼泊爾 1779年（據銘文） 銅鎏金文殊金剛及般若波羅蜜多像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s Identified by the sword and manuscript he brandishes in his primary hands, Manjuvara is a three-headed and six-armed tantric form of Manjushri. Seated in royal ease (lalitasana), he is joined in blissful union by his diminutive female consort, Prajnaparamita, who embodies the sutra of the same name. Here, she comfortably mirrors her consort's seated pose as she pinches the stem of a blue lily in the gesture of teaching (vitarka-mudra). The bronze's inscription, translates to: 'May it be good: The third of the bright half of Phalgun, in the year 899 (ca. February 1779 CE) was the day on which (this) statue of Mahamanjushri, made in their own names by Chikidhikara Vajracarya and his wife Jaya Lakshmi, residing in Dharmadahtu Mahavihara of the great city of Shankapura, (Mod: Sankhu) was consecrated. May it be good.' Bonhams is grateful to Ian Alsop for his assistance with translating the inscription. This consecration by husband-and-wife donors supports a more romantic interpretation of the divine couple, as Dr. Pal observes, 'when Prajnaparamita holds a blue lotus, the book placed on it is the Kamasastra, the manual of physical desire rather than the lofty Paramita treatise. Curiously, Manjushri is sometimes identified specifically with Kama, god of desire' (Pal,Asian Art At the Norton Simon Museum, vol. 2, 2003, p. 96, no. 62). Although relatively slimmer in proportion than their Early Malla counterparts, images from the Late Malla period are often adorned with elaborate, flaming aureoles to stress the cosmic power of their respective deities. Examples of Manjuvara-Prajnaparamita pairs that share this double-layered arch can be found in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, pp. 389, 391 & 392, nos. 106F, 107F & 108C.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE LAMA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET CENTRAL, XVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4801 22 cm (8 5/8 in.) highFootnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF A LAMA CENTRAL TIBET, 15TH CENTURY 藏中 十五世紀 銅鎏金喇嘛像Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s The charismatic face, with a prominent chin, broad smile causing creases on his full cheeks, and high cheek bones, has the mark of a true portrait commemorating an unidentified monastic leader. His identity may well be known in time, given that he appears to be the subject of another gilded bronze, also of great quality, preserved in the Náprstek Museum, Prague, and inscribed 'Kham-po (Abbot) Bsod-nams-Rinch'an la' (Jisl, Tibetan Art, 1957, no. 72). An exemplary level of care has been taken by the artist to convey the variety of patterned hems and fabrics comprising the monk's vest and outer robe. Over the proper right shoulder, the vest is revealed to have a central panel of meandering lotus stems connecting large blossoms viewed from above. Maintaining the perspective, a linear chain of lotus stems and flowers runs across his back, left shoulder, and chest, along the beaded hem of his outer robe. By contrast, the revealed hem of the monastic vest depicts a flatter, continuous leafy vine against a stippled ground. Further embellishments to the outer patchwork robe are worked with chevrons and floral medallions. These patterns imitate luxurious and highly coveted brocaded silk textiles received from the early Ming imperial court. In fact, the vest's central panel seems almost directly inspired by a Ming-dynasty yellow-and-red brocade, a panel of which is held in the Palace Museum, Beijing (Zong [ed.], The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Textiles and Embroideries of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, 2005, p. 116, no. 133). The close affinity with early Ming textiles and the sheer refinement of this gilded portrait locate it in the 15th century, considered a renaissance period in Tibetan art history. Further still, the particular method of engraving to pattern the garments, the distinctive broad and raised lotus petals around the base, the base's tall foot, and the gilded baseplate on the underside, align with the work of an identified Tibetan master, Sonam Gyaltsen, who is known by inscription to have created superlative gilt bronzes for at least one monastery in Central Tibet, circa 1430 (see the Jamchen Avalokiteshvara by Sonam Gyaltsen sold at Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3033). The eccentricity shown in revealing a couple of toes from the lama's left foot peering out from underneath the outer robe is yet another indicator betraying the hand of a bold artist who delights in including unique features beyond the prescribed format of such portraiture.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: •• Zero rated for tax, no tax will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DU SIXIÈME SAKYA TRIDZIN, SAKYA PANDITA KUNGA GYALTSEN, EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET, XIVE SIÈCLEA Tibetan inscription at the back of the lotus base, translated: 'The precious statue [of] the great Sakya Paṇ[ḍita] was commissioned by Gyeltso for the benefit of [his] kind mother and father.' Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4847 13.3 cm (5 1/4 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF THE SIXTH SAKYA TRIDZIN, SAKYA PANDITA KUNGA GYALTSEN TIBET, 14TH CENTURY 西藏 十四世紀 銅鎏金六世薩迦法王 薩迦班智達貢噶堅贊像 Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sFinely modeled and incised, this bronze depicts Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen (1182-1251), a spiritual ancestor of the Panchen Lama lineage within the Gelug tradition, and a great Tibetan scholar. He is one of the 'five founding fathers' of the Sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1249, under the Yuan dynasty, he became Viceroy of Tibet. Here, Sakya Pandita is commemorated with the book-and-sword attributes of Manjushri, conveying his perfected wisdom and skillful means, resulting in his attainment of Buddhahood. Distinctive features of the present bronze, such as the rice-grain motif on the hem of the master's densely patterned robe, the delineation of his finger joints, the use of a red-tinged gilding, and the large-beaded rim around the foot of the base, are also shared by the sculpture of the Khasa Malla kingdom, which ruled parts of Western Nepal and Tibet between the 12th-14th century. They strongly suggest that this sculpture originates from the vicinity of Tibet's southern border, perhaps Mustang (c.f. Lo Bue (ed.), Wonders of Lo: The Artistic Heritage of Mustang, 2010).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE RATNASAMBHAVA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET, XIV/XVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4851 19 cm (7 1/2 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF RATNASAMBHAVA TIBET, 14TH/15TH CENTURY西藏 十四/十五世紀 銅鎏金寶生佛像Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s Ratnasambhava, the 'jewel-born', is one of the Five Presiding Buddhas. Within a mandala, he occupies the southern quadrant, represented by the color yellow, and presides over the jewel family of buddhas and bodhisattvas. As a solitary image, he can be identified by his outstretched palm, which imparts the gesture of wish-granting (varada-mudra). Compare Ratnasambhava's broad, upper torso with another Buddha sold at Bonhams, New York, 14 March 2016, lot 27. Moreover, compare the rounded, multi-layered design of the lotus petals with an Amitayus sold at Bonhams, New York, 14 September 2015, lot 20.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE LOKESHVARA PADMAPANI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉDENSATIL, TIBET CENTRAL, XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4836 26.1 cm (10 1/4 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF LOKESHVARA PADMAPANI DENSATIL, CENTRAL TIBET, 14TH CENTURY 丹薩替 藏中 十四世紀 銅鎏金蓮華手觀音像 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1975 Depicting the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara holding a lotus, this sculpture's refined modelling, thick gilding, and meticulous inset jewelry exemplifies work executed for wealthy Tibetan monasteries by Newari master craftsmen. While several stylistic features relate to contemporaneous figures produced for worship in Nepal, such as the bodhisattva's broad Malla-style forehead, the near-pristine preservation of the sculpture indicates it was venerated in Tibet. In fact, the specific treatment of the base, with its flat back, beaded rims, and tall plump lotus petals is a quintessential feature of sculptures produced by Newari artisans for Densatil and neighboring monuments during the last quarter of the 14th century. From the late-13th to 15th century, the early Kagyu order known as the Phagmo Drupa established Densatil as their monastic seat of power and commissioned eight lavishly decorated monumental stupas, known as tashi gomang ('many doors of auspiciousness') in the monastery's main hall. These multi-tiered structures represented one of Tibet's great artistic wonders and were covered in gilt bronze sculptures and relief panels.The present sculpture's subject and scale, along with the finishing of its back, suggest it was initially created for the fourth tier of one such tashi gomang stupa, where it would have been paired with a seated attendant figure of Hayagriva (Estournel, www.asianart.com/articles/densatil/, figs. 27 & 28). The sculpture would have almost certainly flanked a Buddha image, but it is also possible that it stood by a Buddha image on an altar, either at Densatil or at neighboring Neudong or Tsetang. Helping to locate the sculpture to the 14th century, stylistic traits such as the long tresses, upswept armbands, and jewelry with uniformly circular inset stones are shared by a group of sculptures produced by Newari artists for the Yuan imperial court in the late 13th to 14th centuries, as well as a 14th-century Nepalese Vajradhara in the Museum Rietberg, Zurich (Bigler, Before Yongle, 2015, pp. 74-91, nos. 17-20; Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, 1995, pp. 60-1, no. 21, respectively). On the whole, Densatil sculpture of the 14th century is more refined than that of the 15th. Other closely related Densatil sculptures attributed to the 14th century are published in Czaja and Proser (eds.), Golden Visions of Densatil, 2014, pp. 116-7, 136, & 167, nos. 21-2, 31, & 42. Three related Lokeshvara Padmapani sculptures are preserved in the Potala Palace, Lhasa (von Schroeder, Buddhist Bronzes in Tibet, 2002, pp. 970-71, nos. 235B-E).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE VAJRASATTVA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET, XVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4853 24 cm (9 1/2 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VAJRASATTVA TIBET, 15TH CENTURY西藏 十五世紀 銅鎏金金剛薩埵像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sVajrasattva (lit. 'Vajra Being') is identified by the vajra he holds before his chest and the bell he cradles against his hip. He represents the Primordial Buddha, and as such is identical with Vajradhara. Sometimes Vajrasattva is also considered a sixth Presiding Buddha (Tathagata). He is usually invoked during a purification rite undertaken before most tantric instruction in Tibetan Buddhism. Seated in double-lotus posture (vajraparyankasana) above a double-lotus base, the Primordial Buddha raises his chin to impart an uplifting expression. The flared design of his earrings follow the aesthetic traditions of the Kathmandu Valley, and is one of several features indicating the bronze was produced by a Newari master craftsman for a Tibetan patron. The sculpture compares favorably with related examples of Vajradhara published in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, p. 430, nos. 113B-C).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUETTE DE BOUDDHA VAJRASANA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET, CIRCA XVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4848 12.9 cm (5 1/8 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BUDDHA VAJRASANATIBET, CIRCA 15TH CENTURY西藏 約十五世紀 銅鎏金金剛座佛陀像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sWith the downward motion of his right hand, Buddha Shakyamuni summons the Earth Goddess to witness his enlightenment. The vajra resting before his ankles symbolizes his enshrined seat (vajrasana) underneath the bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, which is one of the primary Buddhist pilgrimage sites. The blue and cold-gold painted face, which is ritually applied in Tibet, affords the Historical Buddha a cool resolve while resisting the carnal temptations of Mara's shape-shifting daughters. Two related gilt bronzes with similarly incised lotus bases are published in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, vol. II, 2001, p. 1065, nos. 272E-F.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE VAJRADHARA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET, XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4856 22.5 cm (8 7/8 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VAJRADHARA TIBET, 14TH CENTURY 西藏 十四世紀 銅鎏金金剛總持像 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s Vajradhara is the primordial source from which all wisdom and compassion originate, and is here nobly depicted in the upright-seated, 'adamantine-throne' position (vajraparyankasana). Since his true, dharmakaya form is empty and ineffable to the unenlightened mind, Vajradhara is represented with an appealing 'reward body' (sambhogakaya), which portrays the bliss that comes from experiencing the dharma for oneself, while also offering a supple body adorned with resplendent jewelry and sumptuous clothing for the enjoyment and contemplation of practitioners. Vajradhara crosses his hands over his heart in vajrahumkara mudra, which symbolizes the perfect unity of wisdom and compassion needed to understand—and dissolve into—his true dharmakaya existence. There are many characteristics of this inviting gilt bronze that reflect the Nepalese tradition of image-making from the Kathmandu Valley. For example, Vajradhara's wide forehead and broad shoulders, combined with the delicate modelling of his fingers and toes, are classic elements of Newari sculpture. The relatively modest application of jewelry and the mostly un-patterned sheer lower garment both allow large swathes of his sensuous physique to be admired without visual obstruction, epitomizing a core Newari aesthetic rooted in Indian devotional art. More specifically, the incised floral scroll decoration that is applied to the hems of his garment, in addition to the looped sash wrapped around his tapered waist, are characteristic of Newari sculptures produced for worship in Nepal in the 14th century, such as an Indra sold at Christie's, New York, 17 March 2015, lot 11. On the other hand, the construction of the lotus base to accommodate and seal inserted consecrations, the lapis painted within the hair, and the choice of opaque turquoise settings instead of translucent gemstones betray Tibetan religious beliefs and practices, indicating that the Newari master-craftsman produced this handsome sculpture for a Tibetan patron. A group of similar 14th-century Newari-Tibetan bronzes located in Shalu Monastery are published in von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Vol. II, 2001, pp. 959-63, nos. 229C, 230B-C, & 231E). Additionally, see a gilt-bronze image of Manjushri sold at Sotheby's, New York, 23 March 2007, lot 55.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

PLAQUE DE NAGADAKINI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ, MOULÉ ET REPOUSSÉTIBET, XVIIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4839 27.5 cm (10 7/8 in.) highFootnotes:A CAST AND REPOUSSE GILT COPPER ALLOY PLAQUE OF A NAGADAKINITIBET, 18TH CENTURY 西藏 十八世紀 銅鎏金及錘揲龍女像Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s In a Buddhist context, serpent deities (nagas) act as protectors of the material realm, and are often shown venerating or offering gifts of devotion to a buddha or bodhisattva. The use of repoussé for the bottom half of her snake body, in addition to the metal tang behind her back and her single outstretched arm, suggest that this nagadakini would have been placed on the upper portion of a large prabhamandala, a throne-back placed behind a statue of remarkable size. For examples of nagas in repoussé, see a fragment in the Art Institute of Chicago (1980.273a-c) and a prabhamandala with nagas in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (1927-18-17b).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE BOUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET, XV/XVIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4846 14 cm (5 1/2 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHATIBET, 15TH/16TH CENTURY西藏 十五/十六世紀 銅鎏金釋迦牟尼像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sIndicated by the placement of a vajra on top of the lotus base and the figure's right hand in bhumisparsha mudra, this gilt-bronze commemorates Shakyamuni's enlightenment underneath the bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya in Northeastern India. The artist has given the Historical Buddha a cheerful demeanor, perhaps intending to dispel any potential anger or concern within the viewer. Closely related sculptures are published in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, pp. 431 & 440, nos. 113F & 118A.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUETTE DE BOUDDHA COURONNÉ EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET, CIRCA XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4857 13 cm (5 1/8 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF CROWNED BUDDHA TIBET, CIRCA 14TH CENTURY 西藏 約十四世紀 銅鎏金寶冠佛像 Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sKoller, Zurich, 27 and 28 May, 1988, lot 130 (unsold) This image can be interpreted to represent either Akshobhya, assuming it was part of a set of Five Presiding Buddhas, or Crowned Shakyamuni, if it was intended as a singular piece or the central element of an ensemble. While Shakyamuni's renunciation of royal birth would seem to stand in opposition to his representation with a crown, Bautze-Picron has shown that the coalescence of Indian political, devotional, and philosophical developments resulted in Shakyamuni's spiritual authority being emphasized with regalia by the end of the First Millenium CE (Bautze-Picron, The Bejewelled Buddha from India to Burma, 2010). This iconographic tradition was adopted in Nepal by artists who may have promoted it in Tibet, where it is often depicted in bronzes with strong Nepalese stylistic traits produced for Tibetan patrons. This might be the case of the present lot, which features Nepalese characteristics such as a broad forehead and robust physique. Compare with examples sold at Sotheby's, New York, 23 March 2007, lot 53; and Sotheby's, New York, 22 March 2018, lot 1035.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUETTE DE MANJUSHRI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET, XVIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4845 10.5 cm (4 1/8 in.) highFootnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRITIBET, 16TH CENTURY西藏 十六世紀 銅鎏金文殊菩薩像Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, New York, by 1967Seated in vajrasana, Manjushri raises his palms together in the symbolic gesture of Progressing the Dharma (Dharmachakra-mudra). From this activity emerge stems by his sides that bloom wing-tipped lotus flowers supporting his primary attributes, the sutra and wisdom sword. The sweet expression of his face, in addition to the elegant treatment of the lotus base and turquoise-inlaid jewelry, can be found in two other 16th century gilt-bronzes published in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, pp. 440 & 443, nos. 118B & 119G. For another example featuring similar wing-tipped lotus blossoms, see a figure of Prajnaparamita sold at Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 4 October 2016, lot 7.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

TRIADE DE PADMASAMBHAVA ET SES ÉPOUSES, MANDARAVA ET YESHE TSOGYAL, EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET, CIRCA XVIIE SIÈCLEWith an original silver skull-cup (kapala) mounted within Padmasambhava's left hand.Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4810 24 cm (9 1/2 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY TRIAD OF PADMASAMBHAVA AND HIS CONSORTS, MANDARAVA AND YESHE TSOGYALTIBET, CIRCA 17TH CENTURY西藏 約十七世紀 銅鎏金蓮花生大士與曼達拉娃及益西措嘉像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sOne of the finest known examples of this rare, complete subject, the present gilt bronze triad depicts Padmasambhava—the 'Lotus Born'—according to his creation myth, joined by his two wives. Padmasambhava is credited with introducing Buddhism in Tibet in the 8th century. He is also the root guru of the Nyingma order, who regard him as a 'Second Buddha' and maintain he planted treasure teachings (terma) throughout the Himalayas to be discovered when the world is ready. According to traditional biographies, Padmasambhava was miraculously born in the center of a lotus blossom on Lake Danakosha in Oddiyana, which this sculpture commemorates. In delightful detail, two fish, a duck, a goose, an auspicious conch, and a mythical crocodile (makara) populate the lake's swirling vegetal waters envisioned by the ensemble's base. Padmasambhava is joined by his two consorts and close disciples, each smaller and seated on a lotus flower stemming from the same central stalk. His first consort, Mandarava (viewer's left), was a princess from Himachal Pradesh in Northwestern India and is therefore depicted wearing Indianized dress consisting of a pleated sari, large plug earrings, and jewelry with triangular foliate designs. She raises her hands in the age-old gesture of entreaty (anjali mudra), and the branching lotus stem below her also blooms a blue lily. His second consort, Yeshe Tsogyal (viewer's right), hailed from an aristocratic family in Central Tibet, and is therefore dressed in a heavy royal Tibetan cloak and wears floral-medallion earrings with small piercings. She wields the scented skull cup, a vajrayana implement, while displaying the gesture of teaching (vitarka mudra) with her other hand. Below, her stem also sprouts a white lotus bud. Tsogyal, whose name means 'Victor of the Lake', is considered the first Tibetan to have achieved Buddhahood in a single lifetime. The present ensemble ranks highly among a range of other examples depicting this subject listed as HAR set no. 5068. Exquisitely cast, thickly gilded, and featuring a particular style of long, plump lotus petals with frilled tips, this sculpture joins a growing body of sculptures being attributed to Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Shigatse, Central Tibet (for further discussion, see Luo, 'Tashi Lhunpo Statuary: Karma and Mt Meru', in Bonhams, Hong Kong, 26 November 2019). Tashi Lhunpo is the traditional monastic seat of the Panchen Lama, the Gelug order's second-in-command, and maintained a particularly close relationship with the Qing court during the reign of the Kangxi emperor (1662-1722). A related bronze of Panjaranatha Mahakala was sold at Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2019, lot 928.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE PANJARANATA MAHAKALA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET, XIVE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4850 18 cm (7 1/8 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF PANJARANATA MAHAKALA TIBET, 14TH CENTURY 西藏 十四世紀 銅鎏金寶帳大黑天像Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sPanjaranata Mahakala, the ''Lord of the Pavilion'', is the guardian of the Hevajra Tantra. He is also the principal protector deity of the Sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism. He is portrayed here as a formidable opponent to any negative force, with a ferocious expression, stout proportions, and a strongly rooted stance. As he firmly squats over a prone figure representing human ignorance, the overall triangular silhouette of the sculpture adds to the impression of the guardian's insurmountable power. A 14th-century Sakya thangka of the same deity in the Rubin Museum of Art, New York (HAR 642), provides an excellent stylistic point of comparison for the present sculpture. Both depict Panjaranata Mahakala with an oblong potbelly and join a minority of representations that refrain from tilting the deity's head dramatically to one side. In both images, the deity displays a resolutely fierce expression, while reining in his bun of fiery hair behind his crown. The end of his scarf flailing about his legs terminates in a distinctive lotus bud on either side, rather than the more widespread V-shaped 'fishtail' design. Furthermore, the comparatively restrained ornamentation seems to predate Central Tibetan art of the 15th century, in which deities are adorned with sumptuous garments and silks inspired by early Ming imperial gifts. A 15th-century Sakya thangka in the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation (HAR 135) provides a good contrast by illustrating alternatives to these earlier stylistic features.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE MAHACHAKRA VAJRAPANI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉTIBET, XVE SIÈCLEWielding and biting on an original twisted silver-and-copper snake, and standing on an original non-gilded copper alloy base. Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4834 17.4 cm (6 7/8 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MAHACHAKRA VAJRAPANI TIBET, 15TH CENTURY 西藏 十五世紀 銅鎏金大輪金剛手菩薩像 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s As a tantric meditational deity (yidam), Vajrapani manifests with three-faces and six-arms. Sometimes shown with a female consort, he is represented here as a solitary image, trampling on the Hindu gods Shiva and Brahma while imbibing the venom of a poisonous snake. Mahachakra Vajrapani's gesture of reassurance (abhaya-mudra) further conveys his ability to neutralize toxins and subdue ignorance. Albeit wrathful, the sculpture's slightly jovial character, its de-emphasis of the deity's dwarfish potbelly (compared with earlier works), the flowing scarves, and the intricate beaded apron across the legs are indicative of sculptures produced in Central Tibet in the 15th-century. A wrathful Vajrapani in the Jokhang, Lhasa provides a good comparison (fig. 1; Dorje [ed.], Jokhang: Tibet's Most Sacred Buddhist Temple, 2010, p. 268, no. 17C). As does a Vajravidharna sold at Christie's, New York, 31 March 2005, lot 189. Also, compare the jeweled sashes of a figure of Vajravarahi from Densatil in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (AC1996.4.1).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

THANGKA DE SHADBUJA MAHAKALATIBET, XVII/XVIIIE SIÈCLEDistemper on cloth; recto with Tibetan inscriptions in gold identifying the various figures. Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4866 Image: 67 x 49 cm (26 3/8 x 19 1/4 in.)Footnotes:A THANGKA OF SHADBUJA MAHAKALA TIBET, 17TH/18TH CENTURY西藏 十七/十八世紀 六臂大黑天唐卡 Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s Shadbuja Mahakala is the principal protector deity of the Gelug school, indicated by the monks wearing yellow hats in the painting's top half. In this six-armed form, Mahakala emerges from the classification of preparatory rituals (Kriya-tantra) of the Mahakala-tantra as the wrathful manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. In his primary hands, he holds the ritual flaying knife (kartika) symbolizing the peeling away of negative thoughts, and the skull-cap bowl (kapala) representing the containment of impurities. Many striking visuals permeate this painting, including Mahakala's well-proportioned face with piercing eyes, his crown of grimacing skulls, his spotted snake entwining itself below his belly, and his garland of freshy severed heads with various skin tones, some of which have their eyeballs loosened from their sockets. The artist has gone to great lengths to emblazon the canvas, incorporating two small vignettes on the left side that are almost lost in the dazzling composition. One depicts a tantric yogi seated by a stupa in a cremation ground, contemplating a corpse being devoured by a wild dog. The other depicts a monk nestled in a secluded retreat underneath a rocky overhang, seated before a small altar table with a torma offering and other ritual implements. These two figures stand in for the monastic and a-monastic means by which the visualization practice of Shadbhuja Mahakala can be mastered. Bygone masters of the Shadbhuja Mahakala instruction populate the upper register of the painting. Primarily these consist of the Indian mahasiddhas and Tibetan hierarchs of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition, whose founder, Khyungpo Naljor, brought the Shadbhuja Mahakala teachings to Tibet in the 11th century. However, having adopted Shadbhuja Mahakala as a core teaching, Gelug masters are effectively inserted into the Shangpa Kagyu lineage, at the start immediately flanking Vajradhara, representing the primordial source of the teaching, and at the end with the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngagwang Lobzang Gyatso (1617-82) pictured lowest on the left-hand side, and a young Changkya Khutukhtu lowest on the right, who represented the spiritual head of the Gelug order in Inner Mongolia during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Compare the overall composition of the deity and the flames with an 18th-century thangka from the collection of Pia and Louis van der Wee (HAR 100634). Also compare with two other Mahakala thangkas sold at Bonhams, San Francisco, 21 June 2011, lot 8232, and Bonhams, London, 8 November 2018, lot 253.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE CHATURBHUJA MAHAKALA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRETSANG, TIBET CENTRAL, XV/XVIE SIÈCLEWith remains of cold gold, white, and orange pigment in the face and hair, red pigment on the coconut and scented skull cup within the hands, and black pigment in the hair of the prone figure underneath the deity. There is a lengthy Tibetan inscription around the foot of the lotus base. Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4817 24 cm (9 1/2 in.) high Footnotes:A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF CHATURBHUJA MAHAKALA TSANG, CENTRAL TIBET, 15TH/16TH CENTURY 藏中 十五/十六世紀 四臂大黑天銅像Published: Arman Neven, Le tantrisme dans l'art et la pensée, Bruxelles, 1974, p. 76, no. 388. Exhibited: Le tantrisme dans l'art et la pensée, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles, 7 March - 10 April 1974. Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s Depicting the protector deity for the Chakrasamvara tantric cycle—one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist teachings—the artist has portrayed Chaturbhuja Mahakala as a most formidable opponent to any maleficent forces that would encroach upon the Tantra's initiates and sacred practice. In India, Mahakala was associated with cremation grounds, an environment reflected in his gruesome iconography. In his primary hands, the corpulent god holds a skull cup filled with blood and a human heart. A garland of freshly severed heads drapes over his shoulders and falls to his thighs. A serpent winds around his abdomen, another in his hair. A tiger skin cloaks his hips, the stripes chased with considerable flair; the animal's open jaw is positioned on Mahakala's right knee, suggesting he is being devoured. An inscription around the foot of the base pays homage to the deity:Om swasti!In the midst of an expanse blazing like [the end of] an eon, [abides] the one with a dark-blue body, one face, four arms, Holding a coconut, a sword, a human skull [filled with] blood, and a khatvanga.I prostrate to the Glorious-Wisdom-Protector [Mahakala].May all adversity and obstacles of mine [along with those of my] fellow practitioners be pacified! To him by virtue of his own bla.'Bonhams would like to thank Dr. Yannick Laurent for his assistance in translating the inscription. This four-armed form of Mahakala is said to be especially popular within the Kagyu and Nyingma orders (Rhie in Linrothe (ed.), Demonic Divine, 2004, p. 45). Related examples can be found in the Musée Guimet and a private Belgian collection (Béguin, Art ésotérique de l'Himâlaya, 1990, no. H, p. 179; von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, pp. 474-5, no. 131C). The figure's wielded implements and lightly clad, pot-bellied physique betray Chaturbhuja Mahakala's (and the Chakrasamvara Tantra's) origins in Indian Buddhism, where dwarfish nature spirits (yakshas) evolved into assistants of primary deities. However, the subject is treated with a very Tibetan sense of humor, portraying the prone figure, which represents harmful forces and human ignorance, being squashed and almost completely engulfed by the deity's bulging rear end and thighs, save for the top of the head, feet, and one hand peering out from underneath his overbearing seat. This jovial quality, also reflected in the sculpture's painted face—which is arguably as approachable as it is fierce—convey a sense that despite all his terrifying abilities, Chaturbhuja Mahakala is ultimately a benign agent for the practitioner and a cherished, portly guardian.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

THANGKA DE MAHARAKTA GANAPATIMONASTÈRE NGOR, TIBET CENTRAL, XVIIIE SIÈCLEDistemper on cloth; recto with red Tibetan inscriptions identifying the paintings various subjects throughout; verso with red Tibetan 'om, ah, hum' incantation and four lines of inscription behind the central figure. Himalayan Art Resources item no. 89906 73 x 47 cm (28 3/4 x 18 1/2 in.)Footnotes:A THANGKA OF MAHARAKTA GANAPATI NGOR MONASTERY, CENTRAL TIBET, 18TH CENTURY 俄爾寺 藏中 十八世紀 十二臂象鼻天唐卡 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s On a central mountain plateau amid a verdant paradisical landscape, this rare emanation of Avalokiteshvara as Maharakta Ganapati dances feverishly atop his rat mount. His rhythmic prancing prompts the subservient rodent to disgorge wish-fulfilling gems (cintamani), many of which are ensconced throughout the foothills below. The prosperity and spiritual attainment Maharakta Ganapati can ensure is further evoked by the many gems set within his flaming mandorla and the swathes of lush, oversized flowers delicately rendered with gradated red, pink, and white washes. Floating high above the clouds is the Buddha Ratnasambhava in communion with Ngor monastery's founder, Kunga Zangpo, together with patriarchs from the Sakya order, who are flanked by the meditational deities Chakrasamvara and Bhutadamara – a unique, Maharakta-related form of Vajrapani who brandishes a vajra battle standard. Residing within the mountains and valleys below is a retinue of wealth deities, some including the lion-seated Vaishravana overlooking a lakeside hamlet, and Aparajita, who sits at the base of a sloped cliff blanketed by mist and populated with grazing mountain goats. Centrally placed at the lower portion are the three Pishaci sisters, 'Yugu Chesum,' displaying wealth vases and jewels while relaxing underneath the shade of a large, fruit-bearing tree. According to Watt on HAR, 'This form of Ganapati belongs to a set of three powerful deities known as the 'mar chen kor sum' or the Three Great Red Deities included in a larger set called 'The Thirteen Golden Dharmas' of Sakya. The other two Great Red Ones are Kurukulla (of the Hevajra Tantra) and Takkiraja (of the Guhyasamaja Tantra).' The painting of Kurukulla probably from the same set of Thirteen Golden Dharmas as the present thangka is in the Navin Kumar Collection (HAR 8057) and bears an inscription stating that it was commissioned by a student of Sharchen Ludingpa Mingyur Gyaltsen (b.1717 [TBRC P5947]), the 37th abbot of Ngor Monastery. A later iteration of the present composition is in the Musée Guimet, Paris (Béguin, Les peintures du bouddhisme tibetain, 1995, p. 319, no. 229).For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

DEUX STATUETTES D'AMITAYUS ET AVALOKITESHVARA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ INCRUSTÉ DE PERLESDYNASTIE QING, PÉRIODE KANGXI (1662-1722)The two sculptures with a red lacquer storage box bearing a painted inscription reading, '喇嘛教仏像 貳軀 (lamajiao foxiang erqu)', translated, 'Lamaist Sculptures, Two Pieces.'Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4864 10.2 cm (4 in.) high, the largerFootnotes:TWO GILT COPPER ALLOY AND INSET PEARL FIGURES OF AMITAYUS AND AVALOKITESHVARAQING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722)清 康熙（1662-1722年）銅鎏金嵌珍珠無量壽佛及觀音菩薩像Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sAvalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion, is seated with one leg raised in an attitude of royal ease (lalitasana) while Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, is cross-legged (dhyanasana) and holds the elixir of immortality in his lap. Given that Amitayus, in his Amitabha Buddha form, is the spiritual sire of Avalokiteshvara, these two refined sculptures were at the very least created as part of the same group, if not intended as a pair. Both feature rare pearl settings, suggesting an imperial commission. The style of these two bronzes is consistent with images from the Kangxi period (1662-1722), whose facial features are generally softer and more slender than later 18th-century images from the Qing dynasty. For examples of other images with similar features seated on flat-petaled lotus bases, see an image of Amitayus sold at Christie's, Paris, 13 June 2018, lot 207. Also, see two images of Avalokiteshvara, one in the Yale University Art Gallery (2019.66.1), and the other sold at Nagel Auktionen, Stuttgart, 30 October 2015, lot 172.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE MANJUSHRI EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉDYNASTIE QING, PÉRIODE KANGXI (1662-1722)Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4858 13.2 cm (5 1/4 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRIQING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722)清 康熙（1662-1722年）銅鎏金文殊菩薩像 Provenance:With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sRetaining the hilt of the sword he uses to cut through ignorance, this serene sculpture depicts Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Perfected Wisdom. He is adorned with a crown, jewelry, and fine silks consisting of a scarf flowing in and around his shoulders and a lower garment with carefully incised floral hems.Like the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the Manchus of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) continued state sponsorship of Tibetan Buddhism as a way to legitimize and consolidate their rule in China, Mongolia, and Tibet. Forming a teacher-and-disciple relationship with the Gelug Order, the Qing emperors of the 17th and 18th centuries were viewed as the living incarnations of Manjushri, and images such as the present lot were likely made for one of the many Buddhist temples constructed under their imperial patronage. A closely related gilt bronze Manjushri of similar size, although with necklaces that would indicate it was cast after Kangxi period, was sold at Sotheby's, Paris, 23 June 2016, lot 160.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

STATUE DE SHADBHUJA MAHAKALA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉDYNASTIE QING, XVIII/XIXE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 4849 19.5 cm (7 5/8 in.) high Footnotes:A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF SHADBHUJA MAHAKALAQING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH CENTURY清 十八/十九世紀 銅鎏金六臂大黑天像Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970sShadbhuja Mahakala erupts​ into a flurry of motion, his principal hands clutching a chopper and blood-filled skull cup (kapala) while he leans atop the trampled body of Vinayaka, the Creator of Obstacles. After the Gelugpa order swore an allegiance to the Manchu emperors of the Qing empire, devotional images of their chief protector, the six-armed form of Mahakala, became widespread in China and Mongolia. For other 18th-century examples of this wrathful deity, see a figure in The Art Institute of Chicago (1924.120), and another sold at Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3054.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com