TIBETO-CHINESE, 18TH CENTURY

Details

A gilt bronze figure of White Mahakala
Tibeto-Chinese, 18th century
Standing on two prostrate elephant-headed figures over a lotus base, his six hands in vitarkamudra, dressed in a dhoti and adorned with various jewelry and festoons with a streaming ribbon draped over the shoulders, the face with open mouth and bulging third eye surmounted by a five-jeweled tiara, the hair in flames, the base sealed with a double-vajra
8 in. (20.3 cm.) high

Provenance

Collection of Lewis Perry, United States, before 1949

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Lot Essay

In contrast to the various other forms of Mahakala, the Shadbhuja Sita ("The White Lord with Six Hands") form is a wealth deity - the skull cup that would have rested in his primary left hand would have contained jewels, rather than grisly remains. Furthermore, White Mahakala can be distinguished iconographically by his diadem, made of jewels rather than skulls, and the elephant-headed deities on which he stands.

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