Bust of Kurukulla Tibet, Densatil Monastery... Lot 36

Bust of Kurukulla Tibet, Densatil Monastery circa 1360-1370 Copper alloy formerly gilded. 17 cm high Although fragmentary, this bust of a female deity displays all the stylistic and technical elements, such as the tenon emerging from the back, that characterize sculptures from the Densatil gomang tashi. With a single face, four arms, a tiara adorned with five skulls , and a necklace of freshly cut heads, the lower left hand holding the base of the lotus stem that blooms above her shoulder, this deity could only be identified as the only one with these features among the complex pantheon adorning the tashi gomang, namely Kurukulla. Most likely provenance in view of the synthesis of technical and stylistic elements, and the current state of proposal of the chronology of the monuments of the Densatil monastery: Fifth level of the north side of the second or third tashi gomang erected from 1360 for Grags pa rgyal mtshan (1293 - 1360) 8th abbot of Densatil from 1310 to 1360 and from 1370 for Grags pa shes rab (1310-1370) 9th abbot of Densatil from 1360 to 1370. The fragmentary nature of the work makes it difficult to attribute it to one of these two monuments rather than the other. For an object of the same typology, cf. J-L Estournel "About the 18 stupas and other treasures once at the Densatil monastery." 2020 http://asianart.com/articles/densatil/index.html fig. 210 p.64 This sculpture is recorded in the Densatil Project Archives as 2020/10/31-TGM2/3-5-N-3 Bust of Kurukulla Tibet, Densatil monastery circa 1360-1370 Copper alloy formerly gilded. H. 17 cm Although fragmentary, this bust of a female deity displays all the stylistic and technical elements, such as the tenon emerging from the back, that characterize sculptures from the Densatil gomang tashi. With a single face, four arms, a tiara adorned with five skulls , and a necklace of freshly cut heads, the lower left hand holding the base of the lotus stem that blooms above her shoulder, this deity could only be identified as the only one with these characteristics among the complex pantheon adorning the tashi gomang, namely Kurukulla. The most likely provenance in view of the synthesis of technical and stylistic elements, and the current state of proposal of the chronology of the monuments of the Densatil monastery: Fifth level of the north side of the second or third tashi gomang erected from 1360 for Grags pa rgyal mtshan (1293 - 1360) 8th abbot of Densatil from 1310 to 1360 and from 1370 for Grags pa shes rab (1310-1370) 9th abbot of Densatil from 1360 to 1370. The fragmentary nature of the work makes it difficult to attribute it to one of these two monuments rather than the other. For an object of similar typology, cf. J-L Estournel "About the 18 stupas and other treasures once at the Densatil monastery." 2020 http://asianart.com/articles/densatil/index.html fig. 210 p.64 This sculpture is recorded in the Densatil Project Archives as 2020/10/31-TGM2/3-5-N-3 Provenance: - French private collection - Frédéric Rond (Paris)