TIBET, CIRCA 16TH CENTURY

Details

A Gilt Copper Repoussé Mandorla
Tibet, circa 16th Century
Made from five sections, with Garuda in the arched crest supported by makaras, lions and elephants and Maitreya and Avalokiteshvara flanking a gateway, within a border of lotus tendrils interspersed with the Five Tathagathas and auspicious emblems, all in finely worked gilt relief against a red pigmented ground
40 in. (101.5 cm.) high (5)

Special notice

This lot is offered subject to a reserve, which is the confidential minimum price below which the lot will not be sold.

Lot Essay

This throneback was likely made for a standing figure based on the shape of the inner aureole. Repoussé metalwork and florid scrollwork are hallmarks of Newari craftsmanship that spread in Tibet most notably through commissions from Sakyapa monasteries and patrons. Compare to a smaller repoussé throneback in P. Pal, Art of Tibet, 1983, Pl. S18, p. 206.

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