Until 1st May, 2026
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AN INLAID THREE-PRONGED GILT-BRONZE VAJRA (SANKOSHO)
Lot 50 - AK0126
Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
Boldly cast, with a lotus-shaped central section inlaid with a turquoise on each side, terminating in three prongs with sharp finials.
LENGTH 13.5 cm
Provenance: The Presencer Collection of Buddhist Art. Alain Presencer (b. 1939) is a renowned Tibetologist, collector, musician, and long-standing Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. He began studying Buddhism at age 13, later training under Professor Mathera Sadhatissa at the University of Toronto in 1961-1962, before relocating to the UK in the 1970s to immerse himself in Tibetan culture. Over the past 60 years, Alain brought to the West his knowledge of the Himalayan region. By gaining access to remote monasteries, he amassed a comprehensive collection of Tibetan Buddhist artifacts, encompassing thangkas, ritual implements, statues, mandala plaques, and singing bowls. He also produced a popular recording of his own performances, introducing this musical genre to a global audience with his album 'The Singing Bowls of Tibet', which has sold over a million copies to date. Significant pieces from his collection were sold at his personal sale at Bonhams Hong Kong on 2 October 2018. Subsequently, Alain Presencer wrote a book on his lifelong field of study, titled Tibetan Buddhist Art and published in 2019, featuring images of several objects from his collection.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, casting flaws and tiny nicks.
Museum comparison:
Compare a related three-pronged vajra, dated to the 12th century, 17.5 cm (long), in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1987.151.
Auction comparison:
Compare two related gilt-bronze vajra, dated to the 18th-19th century, 15.2 cm (long), at Bonhams, Asian Art, 4 November 2019, London, lot 247 (sold for GBP 1,657 or approx. EUR 2,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).
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