A SILVER INLAID BRASS FIGURE OF NAMPAR GYALWA


TIBET, CIRCA 15TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.61922 8 1/2 in. (21.5 cm) high
|西藏 約十五世紀 銅錯銀南巴嘉瓦像 With right hand raised and left resting, this sculpture depicts the identifying gestures of the Bon deity Nampar Gyalwa, a manifestation of Tonpa Shenrap. Among Bon sculptures of the 15th and 16th centuries, the present lot stands out as one of the finest. His well-defined face is accented with silver-inlaid eyes. With a neat beaded girdle and densely patterned sash extending to his back, his garments and jewelry are completed in the round. Moreover, his rectangular throne is populated with different figures and animals on all four sides. It compares favorably to another bronze Nampar Gyalwa with silver-inlaid eyes sold at Sotheby's, New York, 19 September 2008, lot 310. Also see a bronze image of Nampar Gyalwa in the Museum der Kulturen, Basel (Essen & Thingo, Die Götter des Himalaya, Munich, 1989, p.219, no.II-456), and another published in von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 2008, p.475, no.131B.