A BRASS FIGURE OF ARYATARA, NEPAL , 18TH CENT... Lot n° 295

A BRASS FIGURE OF ARYATARA, NEPAL , 18TH CENTURY Finely cast, seated in lalitasana atop a double lotus dais with her left foot resting on a small lotus platform issuing from the base, her right hand lowered in varada mudra and the left held in vitarka mudra and holding a lotus stem coming to full bloom at the shoulder. She is dressed in a long flowing dhoti and a shawl, and richly adorned with fine jewelry. Her serene face with almond-shaped eyes and bow-shaped lips forming a benevolent smile. The hair arranged in a jewel-topped chignon behind the foliate taira, with strands of hair elegantly falling along the shoulders. Provenance: From a private collection in Belgium. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting flaws, minuscule nicks, small dents, slight warping. Weight: 224 g Dimensions: Height 10.8 cm Aryatara is another name for Vasyatara: one of the various emanations of Amoghasiddhi, as mentioned in the 5 th-century Sadhanamala (a collection of Sadhana texts that contain detailed instructions for rituals). Her color is green, her symbol is the lotus, her Asana is bhadrasana, and her Mudra is the varada. Only one Sadhana in the Sadhanamala is assigned to her. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related gilt bronze figure of Aryatara, wearing a similar shawl, dated to the 18th century, in the National Museum of Nepal. Also compare a related bronze figure of Green Tara, 14 cm high, Western Tibet, 18 th century, formerly in the Josef Martinek Collection and now in the National Gallery in Prague, inventory number VP 2455, illustrated on Himalayan Art Resources, item number 57649.