A rare hand painted clay figurine of the Tibetan god, Yamantaka. Yamāntaka is the "lord of death" deity of Vajrayana Buddhism. Sometimes he is conceptualized as "conqueror of death". He belongs to the Anuttarayoga Tantra class of deities popular within the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Tsa-Tsas are small sacred images that are hand crafted from clay. The clay is often consecrated with medicinal ingredients and relics and then filled with mantra rolls or stamped on the reverse with mantras. It is a common Dharma practice to make Tsa Tsa to accumulate merit and purify obstacles. They are often placed inside a gau or they may be kept on an altar as a practice support. Like small statues they can depict Buddhas, deities or revered Lamas. Tsa-Tsa's were made from clay in bronze molds & stamped and then left to sun dry. When dry they were often hand painted with lacquer & gold or silver leaf. When finished, they were used to fill up Stupas (sacred Buddhist monuments). Tsa Tsa in Tibet were also used in funerary practices for the deceased. The Tsa-tsa is mounted on a custom stand. His back has a small hole with an inserted relic.

Date:18th & 19th C

Dimensions: 4.75" tall X 3" wide X 1.5" deep