A COPPER INLAID BRASS FIGURE OF SATRIG ERSANG


TIBET, 15TH/16TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.61920 7 7/8 in. (20 cm) high
|西藏 十五/十六世紀 錯紅銅薩智艾桑銅像 Ranked at the pinnacle of its pantheon, Satrig Ersang is the Bon religion's principal female deity, here identified by the yungdrung and mirror by her shoulders. She is beautifully presented with an intricately chased lower garment, a bejeweled crown, and two copper inlaid eyes, giving her an otherworldly countenance. Instead of placing the deity on a rectangular lion throne, as is often seen in Bon sculptures of the 15th and 16th centuries, the artist has ornamented a lotus base with two miniature lions smiling at each other, adding a sense of creativity and playfulness. See another bronze image of the same deity in the V.d.W Collection (HAR 73104).