Nepal, Tara (9)

18th century, Nepal, Tara, wood with gold leaf, photo on wisdomlib, at the National Museum of Nepal in Kathmandu.

We saw a black and white picture of this sculpture on Huntington Archive , this colour picture reveals the use of gold leaf on her richly incised garment and on her belt.

18th century, Nepal, Arya Tara, wood (with remains of polychromy), no size given, photo on wisdomlib, at the National Museum of Nepal in Kathmandu.

16th century, Tibet, Tara, gilt bronze with stone inlay, 18,4 cm, private collection, Arts of Asia Online lot 20, 28th September 2023, Christie’s

An unusual image of Green Tara with an effigy of Amitabha on her head and adorned with singular jewellery.

19th century (or earlier?), Nepal, Tara, gilt bronze with turquoise and garnet, 13,8 cm, accession number AS21-1982 at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (Australia).

18th century, Nepal, Tara, gilt copper, 8,9 cm, private collection, Arts of Asia Online lot 213, 29th March 2023, Christie’s

White Tara usually has a third eye on her forehead plus an eye engraved on the palm of her hands and the sole of her feet.

Nepal, Tara (8)

16th century, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley, Tara, gilt bronze, 18 cm, photo on wisdomlib, at the National Museum of Nepal.

A rare sculpture of Vajritara, also known as Vajra-Tara, who has four heads and eight arms or one head (with three eyes) and four arms as above. There is a noose in her upper left hand. Her main hands are joined before her heart as if to hold an object, the lower right hand displays the gesture of generosity.

(Transitional Period, circa 11th century?), Nepal, Tara, copper alloy, 13,6 cm, photo by Sunil Dongol, 2010, at the Dharmadeva Caitya, Chabahil (Kathmandu, Nepal).

We saw an 11th century Nepalese Green Tara on The Walters Art Museum with similar facial features and hairstyle (two topknots), a single-leaf hair ornament and rosettes, large hoops, some jewellery and a matching belt. They both sit with the left leg pendent and their lower garment is spread over the large lotus base, whose upper petals are not aligned with the lower ones.

17th century, Nepal, Tara, gilt bronze, 12,8 cm, private collection, The Art of the Himalayas lot 91, 16th December 2021, Pundole’s

Green Tara, seated with her right leg pendent, the foot placed on a lotus that stems from the base, her right hand in the gesture of supreme generosity, the other making the gesture of debate. She holds the stem of a blue water lily in each hand.

17th-18th century, Nepal, devi (Tara?), gilt bronze, 14,2 cm, private collection, The Fine Arts Sale lot 27, 12th March 2014, Pundole’s

Circa 17th century, Nepal, devi (Tara?), gilt bronze, 17 cm, same as before, lot 29.

17th century, Nepal, Tara, copper (with traces of gilding), size not given, photo on wisdomlib, at the Patan Museum (Nepal).

17th century, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley, Tara, (gilt) bronze, 56 cm, photo on wisdomlib, at the National Museum of Nepal.

Unless the photo is the wrong way round, this figure is seated with the left leg pendent, which is unusual.

18th century, Nepal, Green Tara, copper alloy with gold paint, pigment, turquoise, 26,3 cm, accession nº AS20.a-c-1982 at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (Australia).

19th century (or earlier?), Nepal, Green Tara, gilt bronze with turquoise and garnet, 13,8 cm, accession nº AS21-1982 at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (Australia).

Circa 13th century, Nepal, devi (Tara?), copper alloy with traces of gilding, 14,5 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part I, lot 31, 14th June 2022, Bonhams (Paris).

16th or 17th century, Nepal, Tara, gilt bronze with stones, 20,3 cm, private collection, The Art of the Himalayas lot 100, 16th December 2021, Pundole’s

17th century, Nepal, Tara, gilt copper alloy, replacement pedestal, no size given, photo on wisdomlib, at the Patan Museum (Nepal).

18th century, (Nepal or Nepalese artist in Tibet?), Tara, gilt bronze, 33 cm, Northern Himalayan Section photo 154 on wisdomlib, at the National Museum of Nepal.

Nepal, Vajrayogini (3)

18th century, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley, Vajrayogini (labelled ‘Vajradevi’), stone, 10 cm, photo 126 on wisdomlib, at the National Museum of Nepal.

Standing with one foot on a victim and the other in the air like a dakini, Vajrayogini wields a flaying knife in her right hand, holds a skull cup in the other, at heart level, and has a ritual staff in the crook of her left arm – a form also known as Vajradakini. She wears nothing but a bone apron and is adorned with a skull crown, a garland of skulls, bone jewellery.

18th century, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley, Vajrayogini, bronze, 29 cm, as before, photo 123, at the National Museum  of Nepal (Rashtriya Museum).

In her Sarvabuddha Dakini form she may stand on both feet and always holds her flaying knife downwards, against her leg, and the skull cup upwards, with her head tilted to drink from it.

Nepal, Green Tara (4)

14th century, Nepal, Tara, gilt copper alloy and stone inlay, 17,8 cm, private collection, Images of Devotion lot 1805, 1st December 2023, Bonhams (Hong Kong).

Green Tara makes the gesture of supreme generosity with her right hand while holding the stem of a blue water lily in the other, with her fingers making the gesture to bestow refuge (tip of ring finger on tip of thumb). There is a flaming jewel on top of her hair.

14th century, Nepal, Tara, gilt bronze, 12,7 cm, private collection, Auction 814 lot 135, Nagel

14th century, Nepal, Tara, gilt copper alloy with stone inlay, 10,2 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part III, lot 31, Bonhams (Paris).

17th century, Nepal, Tara, gilt copper, 12,6 cm, private collection, on Lost Arts of Nepal

Nepal, Vasudhara (16)

14th-15th century, Nepal, Vasudhara, gilt copper with turquoise inlay, 33,5 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 527 pl. 172D, at the gTsug Lhakhang of the Palkor Chode monastic complex in Gyantse (Tibet).

An example of Vasudhara in her six-arm form displaying a small object in her lower right hand, sometimes described as a lotus bud or a fruit but identified here as a wish-granting jewel by the author. The top right hand is raised as if to accompany music or singing, the middle one holds ‘raining jewels’. A manuscript is held in the top left hand, a sheaf of grain in the next one down, and a long-life vase in the lower one. Her hair is topped with a half-vajra finial.

13th century, Nepal, Vasudhara, gilt copper (and turquoise inlay), size not given, photo on Lost Arts of Nepal, at the National Museum in Chhauni, Kathmandu (Nepal).

16th century, Nepal, Vasudhara, gilt copper, size not given, photo on wisdomlib, at the Patan Museum (Nepal).

17th century, Nepal, Vasundhara, gilt copper with stone inlay, private collection, photo on Lost Arts of Nepal as before, 10th April 2017.

Vasudhara/Vasundhara is a goddess of wealth and harvest particularly worshipped in Nepal. She may be accompanied by four minor goddesses or eight yakshis.

18th century, Nepal, Vasudhara, gilt copper, 19 cm, private collection, photo on Lost Arts of Nepal

18th century, Nepal, Vasudhara, gilt bronze with turquoise inlay, 11,2 cm, inventory nº 1956,1210.10 at the British Museum in London (UK).

Undated, Nepal, Vasudhara, wood, at the National Museum in Kathmandu (Nepal).

Nepal, Mahasahasrapramardini

12th-14th century, Nepal, Mahasahasrapramardini, gilt copper with turquoise, lapis lazuli, ruby, rock crystal inlay, 27 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 527 pl. 171B, at the Gser khang lha khang of the Bri gung mthil (Drigung Thil) monastery, Lhasa (Tibet).

Maha Sahasrapramardini (also called Maha Sahasrapramardana) is one of the five female deities who embody five early Buddhist texts known as Pancha Raksha (the others are Mahamayuri, Maha Pratisara, Mahasitavati, and Maha Mantramanudharani or Maha Mantranusarini). She may have one or four heads, each with three eyes, and six to ten arms. The four-head and eight-arm form may hold a variety of implements. In this case, the main right hand is making the gesture of charity, the left one holds a noose, the middle hands clutch a bow and an arrow, one of the remaining right hands holds a broken sword, the other probably held a hook; the other left hands likely held a lotus and an axe. She may be seated on a lotus throne or standing on a corpse.

Nepal, wooden Tara (8)

17th-18th century, Nepal, Tara, polychrome wood, 76 cm, private collection, published on Lost Arts of Nepal

17th century, Nepal, Tara, wood (with traces of polychromy), 19,75 cm, private collection, published on Lost Arts of Nepal

Nepal, various female deities (10)

Circa 10th century, Nepal, Sarasvati, copper with traces of gilding, 14,1 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 483 pl. 152D, Potala Collection, Sa gsum lha khang inventory nº 434, Lhasa (Tibet).

The goddess of the Arts and Speech in her one-head and four-arm form, standing, holding a rosary in her upper right hand, a grain in the lower one, a manuscript in the upper left hand, a water pot in the lower one. We saw a similar statue on Art Institute of Chicago

10th-11th century, Nepal, Chunda, copper with traces of gilding, 16 cm, photo as before (p. 487 pl. 154G), Potala Collection, inventory nº 815 at the Lima Lhakhang, Lhasa (Tibet).

Chunda’s most common form has one head and four hands, in which she holds a variety of implements. When her main hands hold a vase or a bowl, the upper right hand holds a rosary and the left one clutches a book, as above.

Circa 10th century, Nepal, attendant deity, copper, 13,4 cm, Buddhist or Brahmanical, photo as before (p. 482, pl. 152 A), Potala Collection, inventory nº 1321 at the Lima Lhakhang, Lhasa (Tibet).

Nepal, wrathful female deities

17th-18th century, Nepal, Vajrayogini, gilt copper alloy, 18,1 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection part IV, lot 11, 6th October 2023, Bonhams (Hong Kong).

Circa 15th century, Nepal, Khechara Vajrayogini, gilt copper alloy, 16,2 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection part III, lot 12, 14th June 2023, Bonhams (Paris).

Vajrayogini in her sarvabuddhadakini aspect, standing on two victims atop a single-lotus base, her right hand holding a flaying knife down while the other raises a skull cup full of blood to her lips. She is naked, adorned with bone jewellery, a bone apron, a skull crown, and a garland of skulls.

Circa 17th century, Nepal, dakini, wood and gilt copper alloy, 12,5 cm, The Triay Collection of Himalayan Art lot 104, 15th December 2022, Bonhams (Paris).

A four-armed dakini, probably an attendant in a set of deities, with a flaying knife and a skull cup in her main hands.

Nepal, Nrtyadevi (2)

Circa 11th century, Nepal, Nrtya, dance offering goddess, gilt copper, 12,8 cm, photo: courtesy of Ulrich von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet Volume One, Visual Dharma Publications, Hong Kong, p. 508 pl. 165A Potala Collection, Lima Lhakhang inventory nº 677, Lhasa (Tibet)

A rare work that depicts Nrtyadevi seated, with her arms as if making a dancing movement. Her long dhoti and the sash across her chest are decorated with a stippled lotus pattern. 

15th century, Nepal, Nrtyadevi, polychrome wood, photo on Lost Arts of Nepal at the Musée Asiatica in Biarritz (France).

We are more accustomed to Malla Period polychrome-wood statues of her standing with one leg behind the other, as if dancing.