Rare Tibetan hand-painted lacquer altar cabinet. Original finish with patina. The front three panels depict three faces. The left face has red skin and green hair with eyes opened wide. The middle face is upside down with eyes coming out of its skull, representing the kapala or skull cup used in sacred Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies. The face on the right is called citipati, representing both the eternal dance of death as well as perfect awareness. Two of the panels are hinged and open to the... Click for details

Tibetan repousse copper polychrome mask of Yamataka , a horned yak headed deity wearing a crown of three skulls on its head. Gold gilt ground and painted pigment accentuate the expression of the Yamataka mask.

Yamataka is a violent aspect of the Bodhisattva Manjushri, who assumes this form to vanquish Yama, the god of death. By defeating Yama, the cycle of rebirth (samsara) that prevents enlightenment is broken.

Yamakata, who shares many attributes with Mahakala, ... Click for details

Antique Sino-Tibetan cloisonne enamel bronze container in the form of a kapala or skull cup. The lid has a four prong vajra finial, and is decorated with intricate enamel design of floral scrolls, lotuses, waves, and four points around the vajra finial. The container's interior is done in red enamel, and the base is done in white enamel with a red cranial fissure line to emulate a skull. With carved wooden base.

19th Century

Provenance: From the Ashby... Click for details

Bronze Buddha from Sino Tibetan tradition. Wonderful details on the robe with inscription on back. Buddha sits on a wooden stand. Provenance: From the William Ashby Estate.

Dates Early to Mid 19th century

Dimensions: 5"(without stand) X 3.25" X 2.25" (6" with Stand)

Tibetan wood polychrome carving of Saraswati or Yangchenma in Tibet, the goddess of learning, wisdom, music, and aesthetics. She is seated on her vehicle, a swan, and holds flowers in both of her hands. The charming figure is well carved with pigments of red, black, green, yellow and gold gilt.

Dimensions: 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 8" H

Antique Tibetan repousse plaque depicting a flying Kinnara or Apsara, celestial beings similar to the Western concepts of angels. The high relief image is done with gold gilt over copper with natural patina from oxidation.

Late 18th Century

Dimensions: 17 1/4" L x 6 1/2" H

Antique Sino-Tibetan repousse hanging censer with iron chain. The hexagonal shaped body has the repeating image of a coiling serpentine dragon with lingzhi clouds of smoke, with inlaid turquoise on each side and touches of gold gilt. The base of the censer with a pomegranate form finial, the top of the censer with a finial in the shape of a fierce deity's head.

Dimensions: 10" w x 20" h (52 1/2" total length w/ chain)

Antique Tibetan Buddhist tsakli miniature painting, considered to be an important visual aid for monks in training when conferring empowerments. This tsakli painting depicts an alternate form of the fierce deity Mahakala, in which his skin is red and he embraces his consort in a yabyum sutra. Around Red Mahakala's waist is a tiger's pelt and elephant skin is draped over his shoulders. In the four corners of the painting are four dancing Dakinis, female deities of meditation and the bardo, or... Click for details

Antique Tibetan Buddhist tsakli miniature painting, considered to be an important visual aid for monks in training when conferring empowerments. This tsakli painting depicts four of the Dharmapalas and their consorts. The Dharmapalas are fierce deity protectors who will wage war without mercy against demons and enemies of Buddhism. Some of the more commonly known Dharmapalas are Mahakala, Yama, Yamantaka, and Kubera. Each fierce deity embraces their consort in a Yabyum pose, and each holds a... Click for details

Antique Tibetan Buddhist tsakli miniature painting, considered to be an important visual aid for monks in training when conferring empowerments. This tsakli painting depicts a group of dancing wrathful Dakinis. The Dakinis are female deities of meditation and the bardo, or intermediate state after death and before rebirth. There are sixteen different colored Dakinis altogether, clothed in human and animal skins, and feasting on corpses. Eight Dakinis have the heads of various animals; A... Click for details