A rare articulated bronze mandala of Hevajra

NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, 11TH/12TH CENTURY

Details

A rare articulated bronze mandala of Hevajra
Northeastern India, Pala period, 11th/12th century
With eight movable petals each with one goddess inside and a seated mahasiddha over charnel grounds on the outside, one with a hinged cover that pins to the opposite petal when closed, all supported by an elaborate openwork stalk centered by Shakyamuni and supported by the serpent kings Nanda and Upananda below, composed of three layers of leaf motifs with two figures seated in lalitasana, over an openwork circular base with hunter and animal motifs over a stepped lion throne
12¼ in. (31 cm.) high

Provenance

Onno Janssens Collection, Netherlands, acquired in Amsterdam by 1996

Literature

Himalayan Art Resources, www.himalayanart.org, item no. 66761

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Lot Essay

This lotiform mandala has articulated petals that close to form a lotus bud. First conceived in northeastern India during the Pala period (9th-13th centuries), very few examples remain. A revival was sparked in China during the early 15th century inspiring splendid gilt bronze examples during the Yongle period. For a related example sold in these salerooms, see Christie's New York, 14 September 2010, lot 61; for a smaller and incomplete example in the Pan Asian Collection, see P. Pal, The Sensuous Immortals, 1977, p. 96-97, cat. no. 57.

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