Pair of Bronze Lions from Nepal

Archives: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: Himalayas Pre 1900: item #489000
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Huge stone lions like these are often seen on either side of the entrance to monasteries or other religious sites in the Kathmandu valley of Nepal. These small bronze lions probably sat as guardians on a stand or small throne on either side of the statue of a deity.

Each measures 2-7/8 by 2 inches at the base and is 3-3/4 inches high.... Click for details

Set of Seven Tibetan Silver Water Bowls

Archives: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: Himalayas Pre 1940: item #488112
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Every traditional Tibetan altar would be furnished with a set of seven bowls for filled with water. The bowls come in various sizes and are made of different materials depending on the taste and wealth.

These bowls are silver and measure 4-3/8 inches in diameter and are 2-1/8 inches high. The set of seven bowls weighs 29.9 ounces.

Th... Click for details

Double-sided Tibetan Print Block: Milarepa

Archives: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: Himalayas Pre 1900: item #488094
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Milarepa (1040-1123) was a famous Tibetan Buddhist ascetic and poet greatly venerated for his acts of great self-deprivation. He is usually depicted as here with his hand to his ear.

This is a very deeply carved print block with a striking patina such that the calligraphy of the text on the reverse has been virtually obliterated from use. Since printing with wooden blocks such as this has been going on for centuries i... Click for details

17th C. Tibetan Gilt Copper Repousse Statue: Tsongkhapa

Archives: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: Himalayas Pre 1700: item #487560
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One of the most important people in the history of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism was Tsongkhapa (1357-1419). He was a monk who founded the reformed school of Tibetan Buddhism and the Gelugpa sect and contributed enormously to Tibetan Buddhism as we know it.

Many lamas are portrayed with the peaked yellow hat with the side covers, but the rich robes, the teaching mudra of the hands, and the two small rods protruding fro... Click for details

Small Nepalese Bronze Statue of Ganesh

Archives: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: Himalayas Pre 1800: item #487467
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In the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal where this statue originates Ganesh is by far the most popular Hindu god. He gains some of this popularity as the son of Siva and Parvati, but he is also revered in his own right as the remover of obstacles and the god of wisdom and success.

In this tiny statue he is portrayed in his two-armed form, standing on his vehicle - pair of musas - and with one tusk shorter than the other. ... Click for details

Tibetan Thangka: Buddha Amitabha in Paradise

Archives: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: Himalayas Pre 1800: item #485257
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Amitabha is the Buddha of Infinite Light and as one of the Five Transcendent Buddhas is Buddha of the west . He is red in color, wears monastic clothes and holds a bowl in his hands. He represents the laserlike light of perception. His symbol is the lotus and most famous emanation is Avalokiteshvara.

In this thangka Amitabha sits in blissful contemplation in his Western Pure Land Called Sukhavati, the La... Click for details

18th C. Tibetan Thangka: Sakyamuni Buddha

Archives: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: Himalayas Pre 1800: item #482156
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This very serene thangka portraying Sakyamuni Buddha seated on a lotus throne in the earth-touching posture and surrounded with arhats and attendants is a fine example of 18th century Tibetan thangka painting.

Following the overall view of the thangka is a closer view of the central figure and then four detailed views beginning at the upper left and proceeding in a clockwise direction.... Click for details

Tibetan Painted Wood Vase of Long-Life: Wrathful

Archives: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: Himalayas Pre 1800: item #471282
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Tibetan Buddhist worship features two different kinds of vases with several variants: the "bumpa" and the "tshe bum". The former is often called the sacred vase. It is for holding water and generally has a spout. The vase we are showing here in a painted wooden version is a "tshe bum". It is generally called a vase-of-life or long-life vase and can be distinguished from a bumpa by the four leaf-like pendants which cascade from the top and the lack of a spout. The long-life vase ... Click for details

Tibetan Tea Bowls: Set of 4 Bowls

Archives: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: Himalayas Pre 1920: item #471098

These four Tibetan or Nepalese Tea bowls were most likely originally designed to be used for drinking Yak Butter Tea. They consist of turned wooden bases (usually a root or burled wood) covered with silver over the drinking cup portion and a finely detailed silver ring around the base. As wood is scarce in the high Himalayas, the burled wood is treated as a precious commodity, just like the silver. These cups vary in size slightly; ranging from 9 to 10.5 centimeters in diameter, and from... Click for details

Pr. Tibetan Silver Short Trumpets

Archives: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: Himalayas Pre 1920: item #470507
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Like the more commonly known long brass trumpets, these Tibetan short trumpets always come in pairs and they also collapse into telescoping sections. In Tibetan they are called "rkang gling", the same name as given to the thighbone trumpet.

Being much smaller in size they can also be much fancier than the long trumpets and can frequently be found in silver as are these.... Click for details