A repousse gilt copper Kalachakra dancer's mask

TIBET, 18TH CENTURY

Details

A repousse gilt copper Kalachakra dancer's mask
Tibet, 18th Century
Very finely cast with straight nose and bulging third eye with the voids in the flaming brows and beards delineating the eyes and mouth
9 1/8 in. (23.2 cm.) high

Provenance

Private collection, Europe, acquired in Hong Kong in early 1990s

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

View condition report

Lot Essay

Masks of this type were worn by lamas performing ritual dances during Kalachakra initiations, and attached to their headdresses. The design is reduced to essential outlines, forming a striking appearance during the ritual; compare with another example in G. Béguin, Dieux et démons de l'Himâlaya, 1977, p. 265, cat. no. 329, and two further gilt examples in R. Thurman and D. Weldon, Sacred Symbols: The Ritual Art of Tibet, 1999, cat. nos. 40 and 41.

More from Indian and Southeast Asian Art

View All