Mongolia, female entities (9)

Late 18th century, Mongolia, Dolonnor, Ushnishavijaya, parcel-gilt bronze repoussé with polychromy, 18,1 cm, private collection, photo on Christie’s

The ‘Victorious Goddess of the Ushnisha’ in her three-head and  eight-arm form, holding a lasso in her main right hand and an arrow in the middle one, her missing attributes are a visvajra (main left hand) a bow (middle left hand), a long-life vase (lower left hand), an effigy of Amitabha (upper right hand). he left one makes the fear-allaying gesture, her lower right hand is held in the gesture of supreme generosity, the left one once held a long-life vase.

And to continue with late but interesting works from The Triay Collection of Himalayan Art on Bonhams :

19th century, Mongolia, rakshasi? (labelled ‘Begtse Chen’), painted papier mâché, 48 cm, lot 175.

This female figure with a demon appearance may be a rakshasi, as suggested by Jing Wen from Bonhams. We saw a couple kept at the British Museum (erroneously labelled ‘Vajrayogini and Karmadakini‘ – see detailed notes on HAR ). The above is naked and holds a thigh bone and a skull cup.

19th century, Mongolia, Simhamukha, painted papier mâché, 56 cm, lot 128.

Standing with her left foot on a female victim, the lion-faced dakini brandishes a flaying knife and holds a skull cup full of blood before her heart and a long ritual staff in the crook of her left arm. She wears a tiger skin around her waist, another on her back, and is adorned with a skull crown and a garland of severed heads.

Tibet, Simhavaktra/Simhamukha (4)

Simhamukha is a generic term referring to a lion-face female entity, but also the name of a specific tantric deity. Simhavaktra usually refers to a secondary figure in Palden Lhamo’s retinue, usually standing with both feet on the ground to cross a sea of blood; she doesn’t normally wear a crown or a garland of severed heads, although when part of a set of tramen (animal-headed dakinis) she may have the same form as Simhamukha.

18th century, Tibet (or Tibeto-Chinese?), Simhavaktra, gilt bronze, at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore.

We saw two very similar statues of Palden Lhamo’s lion-faced attendant, one from the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (labelled ‘China’ on HAR) and the other from the Dallas Museum of Art (labelled ‘Sino-Tibetan’). The present version appears to be the same as a Tibeto-Chinese brass work featured on Bonhams). On all of them Simhavaktra has a human hide on her back and a cross-belt with a large dharma wheel covering her stomach. She brandishes a flaying knife in her right hand and makes a wrathful gesture with the other to keep evil away. Her function is to destroy all obstacles on the way to enlightenment.

17th-18th century, Tibet, Simhavaktra, gilt bronze with polychromy, private collection, Indian & Southeast Asian Art lot 168, 19th September 2002, Christie’s.

This one holds a skull cup in her left hand.

18th century, Tibet, Simhamukha (labelled ‘dakini Simhavaktra’), gilt bronze with paint, private collection, Asian Art lot 126, 8th May 2012, Koller.

Simhamukha, wisdom dakini, wrathful manifestation of Padmasambhava, and emanation of Buddha, stands on one leg, wielding a flaying knife and holding a skull cup before her heart, her ritual staff now lost. She wears a human hide on her back, a celestial scarf, a long snake (un-knotted), a garland of severed heads, and bone jewellery (her skull crown is missing). She has a third eye, a curled tongue, bared fangs, flaming hair, and blazing nostrils.

18th-19th century, Tibet, Dakini Simhamukha, bronze, private collection, photo on Lempertz

Tibet, various dakinis (11)

12th-13th century, Tibet, ‘dancing dakini’, grey stone, private collection, photo on Astamangala

One of four dakinis in Jambhala’s retinue, Vajradakini has one head with three eyes, two arms and two legs. She stands on a male victim, holding a vajra sceptre in her right hand, a vessel or skull cup filled with auspicious substances in the left one, and a ritual staff in the crook of her left arm. The above has the effigy of a buddha in her mitre-like flaming hair. She is adorned with a skull crown, a garland of severed heads, bone jewellery, and instead of a tiger skin dhoti she wears a bone apron. (‘Vajradakini’ may also refer to an aspect of Vajrayogini, who holds a flaying knife in her right hand).

18th century, Tibet, Simhamukha (labelled Vajravarahi), gilt bronze, private collection, photo on Christie’s, Paris

Simhamukha, a tantric deity, wrathful manifestation of Padmasambhava, emanation of the historical buddha, and wisdom dakini, usually stands with one leg in the air, adorned with a five-skull crown, a garland of severed heads, and bone jewellery. She has the head of a lioness with three eyes, a curled tongue, bared fangs, and flaming hair. Her attributes are flaying knife, a skull cup filled with blood, and a ritual staff (missing here). She wears a tiger-skin loin cloth and sometimes a lion-skin on her shoulders. The above has the hide of a human across her back (see close up on above link).

18th century, Tibet, Kakasya?, (labelled ‘garuda’), (gilt) bronze, private collection, photo by Bonhams, Asian Art 26th February 2008, lot 40, London.

Naked and adorned with bone jewellery, this raven-headed dakini brandishes a (missing) sword as if to strike the victim lying before her on the pedestal. Her left hand is stained with blood from the entrails that she eats.

Tibet, Simhamukha (3)

Undated, Tibet, Simhamukha, gilt metal (with turquoise and pigments), private collection, photo on HAR

As a main tantric deity, lion-headed Simhamukha is a wrathful manifestation of Padmasambhava, an emanation of Buddha, and a wisdom dakini. She usually stands with one leg in the air, brandishing a flaying knife in her right hand, holding a skull cup in the other at heart level, adorned with a skull crown, a garland of severed heads, bone jewellery, and sometimes a celestial scarf. She has flaming hair, a third eye, bared fangs, a curled tongue, blazing nostrils, and wears a tiger skin loin cloth and sometimes a lion skin on her back. The above  stands on a female victim and has a human hide on her shoulders. Her ritual staff is missing.

1601-1800, Tibet, Simhamukha (labelled ‘dakini’), gilt bronze, at the Science Museum in London (UK).

This one has a human hide on top of her tiger skin dhoti and stands on a sea of blood. She is adorned with Chinese-style accessories, including a dharma wheel cross-belt and a scarf with serpentine ends.

18th century, Tibet, Simhamukha, copper alloy with inlays (turquoise and coral), pigments, at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York (USA).

An example with a snake around her neck, meant to be used as a sacred cord.

Tibet, various female entities (5)

16th century, Tibet, Gauri, gilt copper alloy, private collection, photo and vivid description on Bonhams, Hong Kong .

One of the ‘eight great dakinis’, Gauri may hold a skull cup and a club, or a flaying knife and a fish – as above. She has a third eye and sharp fangs, and wears nothing but bone ornaments, including a garland of skulls and a five-skull crown. She probably stood on a victim atop a lotus base now lost.

17th century, Tibet, Simhamukha (labelled ‘Mahakala’), bronze, (part of a) travelling shrine, private collection, photo on Hardt .

Surrounded by flames, Simhamukha – the wisdom dakini with a lion face- stands in a dancing pose on a lotus pedestal. She wields a flaying knife in her right hand and holds a skull cup at heart level in the other. There is a ritual staff (khatvanga) in the crook of her left arm.

15th century, Tibet, Densatil Monastery, female deva, gilt copper with turquoise inlay, private collection, photo on Treasure Art item 1008.

A four-arm female with a drum and a ritual staff in her upper hands, a conch shell and a skull cup in the other, also standing on a lotus and surrounded by flames.

Tibet, various dakinis (9)

14th-15th century, Tibet, dakinis, painted clay votive plaques, private collection, Theodore Bruce .

Each of these kneeling figures holds a vajra sceptre in the right hand and a vajra bell in the other.

16th-17th century, Tibet, Simhamukha, bronze (brass with red pigment), private collection, photo on Sotheby’s, Hong Kong .

Standing with one foot on a victim atop a Pala-revival lotus base and her right knee resting on a lotus, lion-faced dakini Simhamukha wields a flaying knife in her right hand and holds a skull cup filled with blood in the other, at heart level. Her ritual staff is missing. She has three eyes, flaming hair and eyebrows, blazing nostrils, bared fangs. Her traditional ornaments are a five-skull crown, a garland of severed heads, bone jewellery consisting in two bracelets, two armlets and a necklace. The above has an extra necklace, and a bone apron with raining-jewel pendants.

Undated, Tibet, Simhamukha (labelled ‘Simhavaktra), gilt bronze, private collection, photo on lot-art .

Circa 18th century, China/Tibet (Sino-Tibetan?), gilt copper alloy, private collection, photo on Cornette de Saint Cyr .

Simhavaktra, the lion-faced attendant to Palden Lhamo, has a flayed human skin on her back and usually has both feet on the ground. It is unusual for her to wear a skull crown.

18th century, Tibet, Makaravaktra, gilt copper (or copper alloy), inv. ETHAS 024622 at the Musée d’Ethnographie in Geneva (Switzerland).

Makaravaktra is the makara-faced dakini who leads Palden Lhamo’s mount.

Tibet, various dakinis (7)

18th century, Tibet, Kurukulla, copper alloy with cold gold and pigment, private collection, Asiatische Kunst 14th June 2017, lot 2178, Van Ham.

In her four-arm form Kurukulla normally holds a bow and an arrow in her main hands, a vajra hook and a noose or a blue lotus in the others (or a skull cup and a drum). She stands in a dancing pose, naked and adorned with a bone apron, bone jewellery, a skull crown, a garland of severed heads.

17th century, Tibet, dakini, bronze, in Tibet, photo on Huntington Archive

This figure who stands on her right foot, her left knee resting on a blue lotus rising from the base, wears a two-fold garment held in place with a festooned belt. Her main hands are in the gesture to bestow refuge, the lower right hand is in the gesture of supreme generosity (and appears to hold a small object), the upper left one hand once held an implement now lost.

16th century, Tibet, Simhamukha, brass with copper inlay and red pigment, photo on Fondation Alain Bordier , at the Tibet Museum in Gruyères (Switzerland).

The lion-headed Simhamukha as a wisdom dakini, standing with her left foot crushing a victim atop a lotus base, surrounded by a serrated flaming arch. She brandishes a flaying knife and holds a skull cup at heart level. She has three eyes, bared fangs, blazing nostrils. Her ornaments include a five-skull crown, bone jewellery, a garland of severed heads, a scarf forming a halo around her.

Unlabelled (Tibet?, Chakrasamvara retinue figure?, copper alloy), private collection, photo on Himalayan Art Resources

This Indian-style four-armed female with a dakini appearance holds a skull cup, a flaying knife, a drum, and a ritual staff. She stands on a victim with both feet, is adorned with bone jewellery and a garland of severed heads, and has her hair divided in three bunches (trishiki).

Nepal, dakinis (3)

Circa 5th century, Nepal, crow-headed dakini, stone,  photo nº 50212 from the Huntington Archive , at the Svayambhu stupa complex in Santipura.

This dakini with the head of a crow is similar to Kakasya, one of the four-gate dakinis, and Kakamukha, an attendant on the outer circle of a mandala. The above has four hands, in which she holds a drum and a ritual staff, a flaying knife and a skull cup. She stands on both legs and is adorned with a five-skull crown, bone jewellery, a bone apron, a garland of severed heads.

Circa 5th century, Nepal, owl-headed dakini, stone, photo on the Hungtington Archive as before, at the Svayambhu stupa complex in Santipura (Nepal).

A similar character, with the same attributes and the head of an owl, such as Ulukasya and Ulumukha, who normally have two arms and hold different implements.

Licchavi period, Nepal, Simhamukha, stone, photo from the Huntington Archive, nº 18796, at the Boudhanath stupa in Kathmandu (Nepal).

The popular lion-headed wisdom dakini stands in a dancing pose, brandishing a flaying knife and holding a skull cup before her heart, a ritual staff placed in the crook of her left arm.

16th century, Nepal, Simhamukha (labelled ‘Simhavaktra’), black stone, private collection, photo by Christie’s, sale 17719 lot 225, Paris.

On this more recent work we can see her third eye, curled tongue, bared fangs, and  flaming hair, together with her usual five-skull crown, bone jewellery, and garland of severed heads. She stands on a victim, and wears a human hide over her shoulders and a long snake around her neck.

11th-12th century, Nepal, Vajravarahi, stone, 9,6 cm, at the Cleveland Museum of Art (USA).

Vajravarahi, identified by the head of a sow coming out of her right temple, stands in the same pose and holds the same attributes as the previous figure. She has a human face, with a third eye and bared fangs, and wears the same wrathful adornments.

Circa 17th century, Nepal, dakini, wood, architectural strut, private collection, photo on 25 Blythe Road .

A one-head and four-arm figure with a peaceful yaksha appearance, holding a rosary and a bunch of lotuses in her upper hands, a skull cup in her lower right hand, the left one in the gesture to bestow refuge (kartari mudra).

Tibet, Simhamukha/Simhavaktra (3)

Circa 12th century (or later?), Tibet, Simhavaktra (or Simhamukha), copper alloy, in 18th century gilt copper shrine with turquoise inlay, at the Berkely Art Museum (USA), photo by Daderot on commons.wikimedia.org

Simhamukha is a lion-headed wisdom dakini and tantric deity who stands on one foot and wears a skull crown, a garland of severed heads, bone jewellery, and holds a flaying knife and a skull cup (except in the Bodong tradition where she is seated and holds a long-life vase). Simhavaktra may have the same form as Simhamukha when she is in a set along with another two animal-headed retinue figures.

16th century, Tibet,  Simhavaktra, gilt bronze with pigments, private collection, photo by Andrew Lau on Hollywood Galleries

The sharply pointed and slanting flaming hair is unusual for the place and period and denotes a Chinese or Mongolian influence.

Undated, Tibet, Simhamukha, bronze (brass), at the Tibet House Museum in New Delhi (India), item 71874 on Himalayan Art Resources.

Simhamukha, complete with victim under her left foot and a flaming arch behind her.

18th century, Tibet (or Sino-Tibetan?), Simhavaktra (or Simhamukha), gilt bronze with pigments, private collection, photo on Christie’s.

16th-17th century, Tibeto-Chinese, Simhamukha? (labelled Narasimha Dakini), gilt bronze with stones and pigment, private collection, photo by Mossgreen.

18th century, Tibet, Simhavaktra, bronze (copper alloy) with cinnabar, at the Dallas Museum of Art (USA).

Almost identical to a brass sculpture at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco published in a previous post, this one has red pigment on her flaming hair, eyebrows, eyes and mouth, which is not quite as wide open. She is adorned with bone ornaments and a Chinese-style cross belt with a wheel at the front, but no crown. She stands with both feet on a sea of blood, wields a vajra handled flaying knife and wears a human hide and a tiger skin over her back.

(As an attendant to Palden Lhamo, she always stands on both feet and wears no crown).

Tibet, various dakinis (2)

15th century, Tibet or Nepal, dakini, gilt bronze (copper alloy) with silver and turquoise inlay, private collection, photo by Polyauction.

This dakini with reddish hair holds a skull cup and another object difficult to identify from the photo (perhaps a tortoise, which would point to Vetali?).

17th century, Tibet, Sphotadakini, gilt bronze (copper alloy) and paint, at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg (Russia).

This youthful female with three eyes, bared fangs and  long red hair has a yellow/gold body and holds what may be a noose, which would match the description of Pasha, one of four directional gatekeepers on some mandalas. Sphota has a red body and holds a chain, Ankusa has a white body and holds a hook, Ghanta has a green body and holds a bell.

17th century, Tibet, Kurukulla, gilt bronze (copper alloy) with paint, at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg (Russia).

Kurukulla in her four-hand form, standing with one foot on a victim and holding a bow and an arrow, an elephant goad and a lotus. She has an effigy of Amitabha in her headdress and wears a mixture of peaceful and wrathful ornaments, including a garland of severed heads and a bone apron.

Early 16th century, Tibet, Kurukulla, zitan wood (red sandalwood) with gilding, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s.

We have only seen one Tibetan sculpture of her with a skull cup in her left hand, which included a bow, an arrow and a drum in the other hands.

18th century, Tibet (or China?), Simhamukha (labelled Simhavaktra), bronze with cold gold and paint, at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg (Russia).

Simhamukha stands on a lotus base atop a throne supported by two lions and a yaksha, accompanied by two attendants. She crushes a victim with her left foot and holds a flaying knife, a skull cup and a ritual staff. She has a tiger or leopard skin around her waist, a human hide across her back, and wears a garland of severed heads and a skull tiara. Her attendants are tiger-faced dakini Vyagravaktra and bear-faced dakini Rikshavaktra (who also accompany Simhavaktra, who has the same form as Simhamukha but smaller since she is an attendant, and who doesn’t wear a skull crown and usually stands on both feet, to lead Palden Lhamo’s mount).