A VERY LARGE AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF GREEN TARA, TIBET, CIRCA 16TH-18TH CENTURY

Expert’s note: Dating large-scale Tibetan sculptures such as the present lot—often unique casts that have only rarely entered recorded collections or scholarly publications—is notoriously challenging, a fact underscored by the history of this figure itself.
Peter Kienzle-Hardt, a seasoned expert with decades of experience and extensive travel throughout the Himalayan region, dated the sculpture to the 16th–17th century when he first exhibited it in the early 2000s, and later revised his assessment to a more conservative 18th-century dating after reacquiring the piece in 2014, one and a half decades later.
There is, however, no doubt as to the sculpture’s age, and it compares favorably with a number of related works preserved in Tibetan monasteries and published by Ulrich von Schroeder; see a brass figure of Green Tara, 49 cm high, dated circa 14th century, illustrated in Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, vol. 2, no. 329E, p. 1205; a gilt copper figure of Maitreya, 97 cm high, dated circa 14th century, illustrated ibid., no. 229C, p. 959; and a gilt copper figure of Kalachakra with an extensively inlaid pedestal, 60 cm high, dated 1300-1350, illustrated ibid., no. 232C, p. 965, all three photographed by Schroeder in 1993 at Shalu Monastery in Tibet.
In light of the exceptional quality of the casting, the stylistic restraint, and the uncompromising level of execution, we believe the present sculpture may even predate both of Peter Hardt’s proposed date ranges. This assessment is supported by several X-ray images (available upon request), which reveal an extraordinarily precise casting with razor-sharp internal edges and contours, as well as the possible presence of sacred contents.

Tara is finely cast, seated in lalitasana on a double lotus base with beaded rims, each petal applied with a foliate medallion inlaid at the center with turquoise, her right foot resting on a lotus growing from the base, her left hand raised in vitarka mudra and the right lowered in varada mudra, a floral stem coming to full bloom at each shoulder, wearing a finely incised voluminous dhoti fastened at the waist by a beaded girdle.

The goddess is ornately adorned with fine jewelry including a foliate crown framing the forehead and elaborate necklaces falling elegantly down the contours of her bare chest, all richly inlaid with turquoise. Her serene face with downcast eyes, full lips forming a calm smile, and slender brows, all centered by an urna and flanked by ears suspending circular floral earrings.

The base retains its original seal plate, bearing a finely incised double vajra emblem.

Inscriptions: The back inscribed with a neatly incised (not cast) eight-line invocation prayer in Tibetan:

Potala yi nä tschog nä
TAM yig dschangu là trung shing
TAM yig ö kyi drowa dröl
Drölma khor tschä scheg su söl
Lha dang lhamin tschö pän gyi
Shab kyi pema la tü de
Pongpa künlä dröl dzä ma
Drölma yum la tschag tsäl lo

‘You who were born from the green syllable TAM at the supreme place of Potala, who liberate sentient beings through the light of the syllable TAM, to you, Tara, together with your retinue, I pray to remain here. You, before whose lotus feet gods and demi-gods bow deeply with crowned heads, you who free from all misfortune—before you, Mother Tara, I prostrate myself.’

This is followed by the mantra of Green Tara in the Sanskrit language written in Tibetan script:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Swaha

‘I prostrate to the Liberator, Mother of all the Victorious Ones.’

Condition: Very good condition with expected wear and casting irregularities, few light dents, scattered minute nicks, and shallow surface scratches. Some rubbing and minor losses to the gilt, as well as expected small losses to the inlays, with few possibly renewed or reattached. Old repairs to the lotus flower blooming from the base. Several smaller and larger casting patches. Some verdigris and distinct malachite encrustations. The base with some warping, mostly to backside. The left knee with a shallow dent. Overall displaying a fine, naturally grown, lustrous patina.

Provenance:
-Galerie Peter Hardt, Radevormwald, Germany, early 2000s.
A copy of an archived gallery exhibition card from Galerie Peter Hardt, dating the present lot to the 16^th-17^th century, accompanies the lot.
-A private collection in Switzerland, acquired from the above and thence by descent.
-Galerie Peter Hardt, Radevormwald, Germany, reacquired by 2013.
A copy of a signed expert report from Galerie Peter Hardt, dated 14 July 2014, and dating the figure to the 18^th century, accompanies the lot.
-Collection of Dr. Kai-Torsten Hohn, Dresden, Germany, acquired from the above.
A copy of an invoice from Galerie Peter Hardt, dated 14 July 2014, addressed to Dr. Kai-Torsten Hohn, and stating a purchase price of EUR 130,000 or approx. EUR 169,000 (adjusted for inflation at the time of writing), accompanies the lot.

Galerie Peter Hardt was founded by Peter Kienzle-Hardt (b. 1946), a now-retired German art dealer whose engagement with Asian and Himalayan art spans more than five decades and is grounded in extensive first-hand experience in the region. His career began with a formative world journey in 1973, during which he traveled widely throughout Asia, laying the foundation for a lifelong commitment to the study, acquisition, and dissemination of rare works of art and antiquities. Over the ensuing decades, he organized numerous exhibitions, participated in major international art fairs, and established a reputation as a discerning specialist, particularly in Tibetan, Himalayan, and broader Asian sculptural traditions. Much of the material he handled was acquired directly through travel and long-standing personal networks, lending his connoisseurship an experiential depth that is increasingly rare. In 2014, he established the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, conceived as a public institution presenting a comprehensive survey of Asian art, comprising works from the Kienzle Family Collection supplemented by objects from his own collection. In September 2025, Galerie Zacke held a highly successful auction of objects deaccessioned from the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, achieving a remarkable 99% sell-through rate.

Dr. Kai-Torsten Hohn is a German surgeon and distinguished collector whose passion for art began in his youth, when he accompanied his parents on extensive travels to the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean. This early exposure sparked his lifelong interest in collecting, initially focusing on ancient and Islamic art. Over the years, his travels to various Asian countries led to the formation of a significant collection centered on Buddhism and Tibet.

Weight: 25.6 kg (total)
Dimensions: Height 62 cm

Green Tara, also known as Shyamatara, is venerated as a savior and liberator from samsara, the earthly realm of birth and rebirth. According to Buddhist mythology, Green Tara emerged from a lotus bud rising from a lake of the tears of Avalokiteshvara, shed for the suffering of all sentient beings. She embodies compassion in a dynamic form, hence the usual depiction of the goddess with right leg outstretched, ready to leap out to ease suffering. Her right hand is always held out in varada mudra, a gesture of compassion and charity.

Expert’s Note on Metallurgy:
Metallurgical analysis carried out on a polished cross-section by SEM-EDS confirms the sculpture to be cast from a copper-based alloy composed of Cu 94.9% ; Sn 2.0% ; Pb 3.1%. The composition corresponds to a low-tin, leaded bronze, characteristic of many Tibetan and Himalayan cast sculptures of the later period, where high copper content provided ductility and surface refinement, while lead enhanced casting fluidity. Microtraces of chromium (<0.1%) were detected and fall within the range of naturally occurring constituents. Examination further identified a gilding layer composed of gold and copper, containing traces of residual mercury, consistent with traditional fire-gilding (mercury amalgam) techniques employed in Tibetan bronze statuary. The analytical results are technically compatible with a 16th–18th century Tibetan production.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related Tibetan gilt copper figure of White Tara, 78.5 cm high, dated to the 17^th century, in the Musée Guimet, accession number MA 12495.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Yu Jen Taipei, Taipei City, 9 November 2025, lot 802
Price: TWD 16,000,000 or approx. EUR 428,000 converted at the time of writing
Description: Densatil Monastery a Magnificent and Rare Gilt-Bronze Figure of Vajrasattva, 15th Century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, similar inlays, and size (67.8 cm).

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