18th Oct, 2024 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
309
Ɏ A CARVED CONCH-SHELL TRUMPET, DUNG DKAR, WITH PARCEL-GILT COPPER REPOUSSÉ MOUNT
Sold for €3,120
including Buyer's Premium
Tibet, 19th century. The white shell carved with the face of Mahakala and mounted with a copper mouthpiece and shaft attached to a curved wing decorated in parcel-gilt repoussé with a sinuous dragon flanked by scrolling vines surrounded by the Eight Buddhist Emblems. The lower shaft is decorated with bands of foliate scroll with a knob finial, and the mouthpiece similarly decorated with a band of lotus petals. The shell and reverse of the shaft wing are incised with Tibetan inscriptions.
Provenance: From a private estate in Florida, United States.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, manufacturing irregularities, small dents, minuscule nicks, and natural flaws in the organic material.
Weight: 1,607 g
Dimensions: Length 38.4 cm
Carved in high relief, the face of Mahakala bears a fierce expression. His mouth is open in a ferocious snarl exposing his sharp fangs, nose wrinkling, and brows furrowed. He wears a skull tiara secured by a sash which flows down the side, and his neck is adorned with a snake necklace.
The conch shell (Tibetan: ‘dung’), a symbol of the voice of the Buddha, represents the transmission of Buddhist teachings. This conch trumpet is both an auspicious symbol and a ritual implement in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. During ritual performances, it is used as a musical instrument and as a container for water. The elaborate decoration of real conch shells, such as the present example, became prominent in the seventeenth century.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related Tibetan gilt silver inlaid conch trumpet, 23.8 cm long, dated 17th-19th century, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S2003.1. Compare a related gilt copper inlaid ritual trumpet from Tibet, 44 cm long, dated 18th-19th century, in the British Museum, registration number 1992,1214.16.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Paris, 15 December 2022, lot 186
Price: EUR 6,120 or approx. EUR 6,600 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A silver repoussé mounted conch trumpet, Tibet or Mongolia, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form and decorations. Note the silver material and lack of inscriptions as well as the size (46 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 March 2019, lot 679
Price: USD 8,750 or approx. EUR 9,900 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A carved conch with gilt-bronze mount, Tibet, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form and decoration. Note the size (23.8 cm).
Tibet, 19th century. The white shell carved with the face of Mahakala and mounted with a copper mouthpiece and shaft attached to a curved wing decorated in parcel-gilt repoussé with a sinuous dragon flanked by scrolling vines surrounded by the Eight Buddhist Emblems. The lower shaft is decorated with bands of foliate scroll with a knob finial, and the mouthpiece similarly decorated with a band of lotus petals. The shell and reverse of the shaft wing are incised with Tibetan inscriptions.
Provenance: From a private estate in Florida, United States.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, manufacturing irregularities, small dents, minuscule nicks, and natural flaws in the organic material.
Weight: 1,607 g
Dimensions: Length 38.4 cm
Carved in high relief, the face of Mahakala bears a fierce expression. His mouth is open in a ferocious snarl exposing his sharp fangs, nose wrinkling, and brows furrowed. He wears a skull tiara secured by a sash which flows down the side, and his neck is adorned with a snake necklace.
The conch shell (Tibetan: ‘dung’), a symbol of the voice of the Buddha, represents the transmission of Buddhist teachings. This conch trumpet is both an auspicious symbol and a ritual implement in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. During ritual performances, it is used as a musical instrument and as a container for water. The elaborate decoration of real conch shells, such as the present example, became prominent in the seventeenth century.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related Tibetan gilt silver inlaid conch trumpet, 23.8 cm long, dated 17th-19th century, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S2003.1. Compare a related gilt copper inlaid ritual trumpet from Tibet, 44 cm long, dated 18th-19th century, in the British Museum, registration number 1992,1214.16.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Paris, 15 December 2022, lot 186
Price: EUR 6,120 or approx. EUR 6,600 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A silver repoussé mounted conch trumpet, Tibet or Mongolia, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form and decorations. Note the silver material and lack of inscriptions as well as the size (46 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 March 2019, lot 679
Price: USD 8,750 or approx. EUR 9,900 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A carved conch with gilt-bronze mount, Tibet, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form and decoration. Note the size (23.8 cm).
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