STATUETTE DE TARA VERTE EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ... Lot n° 6

STATUETTE DE TARA VERTE EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ KHASA MALLA, XIVE SIÈCLE Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4612 18.8 cm (7 3/8 in.) high Footnotes: A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF GREEN TARA KHASA MALLA, 14TH CENTURY 卡薩馬拉 十四世紀 銅鎏金綠度母像 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s Her eyes and lips accentuated with the application of cold gold, red, and white pigments, Green Tara casts a warm and empathic smile toward the viewer. The lotus and blue lily blossoming over her shoulders reflect her pure nature as the mother of all Buddhas. Likewise, as the female bodhisattva of compassion, she waits attentively with one hand outstretched in the gesture of wish-granting and one leg pendant, ready to rise to the aid of her devotees. The delineation of the joints of Tara's fingers, in addition to the application of red lacquer to the flattened back of her lotus base, are stylistic features associated with the Khasa Mallas, a Buddhist kingdom in Western Tibet and Nepal whose artists produced paintings and sculptures infused with the styles of neighboring artistic centers (see Alsop, 'The Metal Sculpture of the Khasa Malla Kingdom', in Singer & Denwood (eds.), Tibetan Art: Towards a Definition of Style, 1997, pp. 68-79). For instance, the present figure's hooked nose and rounded jawline bear a strong similarity to two images: a gilt bronze of Green Tara sold at Bonhams, Hong Kong, 2 October 2018, lot 154; and a portrait of a Khasa Malla Queen, now in the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C. (F1986.23). For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com Excellent condition overall, with minor loss of gilding to the proper left knee and in other areas dues to prolonged ritual handling within the culture. Faint scratches intermittently throughout. Remains of red lacquer to the back of the lotus base. Remains of cold gold to the face and the seated Buddha figure atop the hair, white pigment to the eyes, blue pigment in the hair, eyebrows, and pupils, and red pigment in the lips and crown. Base plate is missing. Please contact Sidney Lee (sidney.lee@bonhams.com) for related condition report images.