Tibet or Inner Mongolia. Finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base with beaded rim, her hands in varada and surya mudras. Clad in an elegantly flowing dhoti with folds gathering at the base and richly adorned with beaded jewelry inlaid with coral, turquoise, tourmaline, and sapphire. The face with a serene expression marked by downcast eyes, arched brows, and bow-shaped lips forming a calm smile, flanked by elongated lobes suspending loose circular earrings, both made of solid gold. The neatly incised hair pulled up into a tall chignon surmounted by a jewel, neatly inlaid with a single ‘pigeon blood’ ruby.

Provenance: From an important private estate on the US East Coast.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, and displaying exceptionally well. With old wear, nicks, surface scratches, few minor dents, rubbing to gilt, losses, some of the inlays lost and replaced, and expected casting flaws including a seamline along the waist.

Weight: 5.2 kg
Dimensions: Height 39.7 cm

Expert’s note:
This statue, with its upright posture, attenuated features, and ornate incised decoration, shares many stylistic characteristics with gilt-bronze Buddhist sculptures from the areas of Inner Mongolia outside the Qing capital of Beijing. The present figure is particularly rare for it being cast, rather than carried out in repoussé, it’s rather heavy weight of 5.2 kilograms confirming this. Compare with another gilt-bronze figure of Tara, attributed to Dolonnor, sold at Christie’s New York, 20 March 2019, lot 674, and a third one, slightly larger in size, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 3020 (see auction result comparison). Both these figures and the present lot were cast in a few pieces and ingeniously joined along hidden seams. The three figures also share similar facial features, including deeply-arched brows, long, thin noses, and short, bow-shaped mouths. While the robes of the dhoti of the present figure and the one from Hong Kong are somewhat more naturalistic than the heavy, rhythmic folds of the New York example, all three are ornately incised along the hems.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 3020
Price: HKD 875,000 or approx. EUR 109,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of green Tara, Tibet or Inner Mongolia, 17th-18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject, modeling, manner of casting, and gilding, with similar base, hand poses, jewelry, and tall chignon. Note the slightly larger size (47.6 cm) and better-preserved gilding.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 14 May 2019, lot 262
Price: GBP 37,500 or approx. EUR 59,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of green Tara, Mongolia, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the related subject, pose, heavily draped robes, and tall chignon. Note the much smaller size (25 cm).