Probably produced in Bhaktipur on the western edge of the Kathmandu Valley where black pottery is still being produced, this cup was for ceremonial purposes only. It is in the form of a kapala with the head of Indra.
It is 3-1/3 inches high and 5-1/2 at its widest. A turned, footed pot with the added embellishments, then low fired, the cup is of indeterminate age. Undamaged.
We have large ones as well, but seeing this Newari wine pot used as a bud vase was just too tempting not to take a photograph. One thing led to another and here it is on Trocadero.
The Newaris of the Kathmandu Valley are famous for their bronze working and the products cast in the foundries of Patan. This wine pot (called an ANTE) is one of them. ...click for details
This carved deer comes from the same area around the town of Jajarkot in Western Nepal as many of the primitive carved wooden figures that have gained considerable attention among the collectors of tribal arts.
No one we spoke with could tell us the exact function of this animal. Animal carvings are certainly far less frequent than carvings of humans in the region, and whether this deer had a ceremonial or religious fu ...click for details
The phurba is nine inches long and shows traces of paint under the dark patina. It is
in good condition with no obvious flaws.
We are providing composite photographs of the three sides of the phurba and details of the three faces and the three sides of the mahakala which holds the blade.
The form has persisted until recent times, but the delicacy, the patina, and the lightness all point to a much earlier example of Naga arm bracelet. A very similar
one is illustrated in Jacobs' "The Nagas",
p. 264.
This one is 1-5/8" wide and 2-7/8"
inner diameter. Point to point it measures 5-1/2 inches. The wear holes in the metal are visible in the photographs. We are listing it as Pre- ...click for details
Two elephants face one another in this simple but elegant carving from the Terai
region of Nepal. The holes in the base and top indicate that they were pegged onto something, probably a "marriage cart" in which the bride was transported back to the groom's home after a wedding.
They are carved from a heavy piece of sal wood and show no chips or insect damage. The carving
is 14-1/2 inches long and 5-3 ...click for details
Tibetan wrathful protector deities are often portrayed in both
paintings and sculpture wearing a long garland of skulls or severed
heads. The heads invariable were of males. The fact that this
head is drilled side to side near the top strongly points to this
usage as part of a garland of severed heads around the neck of a
large statue.
With few exceptions, garlands of severed heads adorned male
deities wh ...click for details
From western Nepal around the hill town of Jajarkot originated many of these primitive bronze figures. They were associated with the practice of shamanism and were largely donated to temples where shamans exercised as much influence as priests.
While he lacks the definition or the hefty size of most portraits of Ganesh, the trunk is unmistakable, so we have the incongruous idea of an elephant riding a horse. ...click for details
Shamanism is still widely practiced in the mountain villages of Nepal, and in
western Nepal it spawned the development of the form of tribal art we are
featurning here. Figurative statues mostly of wood but also of stone were
carved for a number of purposes associated with shamanism. Some were
made to guard the house, some the community, some the local temple,
and yet others to protect a bridge or a spring or some other natural
feature. Some were found outside, sometimes buried in the m ...click for details
The graphic quality of the pair of horses wearing blankets just like this one makes up for this carpet's not-so-pristine condition.
It has had considerable reweaving in the blue areas and there is fraying around the edges. While we accept returns with everything we sell, we want to emphasize that we will accept the return of this as-is
item so long as the purchaser is willing to pay return shipping fees. We app ...click for details
