A FINELY CARVED BLACK STONE FIGURE OF JAMBHALA, TIBET, 15TH-17TH CENTURY

Finely carved, seated in lalitasana atop a double-lotus base with a beaded rim, his extended right leg resting on a conch raised on a blossom issuing from the base, holding a mongoose in his left and a tama-jewel in his right hand, dressed in a loose-fitting dhoti with neatly incised pleats, and richly adorned with beaded and foliate jewelry, a sinuous snake partially wrapped around his torso. The mustachioed face with a stern expression marked by wide bulging eyes below furrowed brows, and pursed lips forming a tight smile, flanked by ears suspending large foliate earrings. The hair pulled up into an elaborate high chignon topped by a bud-shaped finial behind the five-leaf tiara.

Provenance: From a private collection in Hungary.
Condition: Very good condition with expected wear, traces of weathering, encrustations, remnants of pigment, few minute nicks and small surface scratches, some areas with light rubbing. The stone with a naturally grown, lustrous dark patina as well as a fine polish, rendering an unctuous feel overall.

Weight: 796.3 g
Dimensions: Height 14.8 cm

This figure depicts the Buddhist wealth deity Jambhala. Often confused with the Hindu god Kubera or the Buddhist Guardian King, Vaishravana, Jambhala’s unusual appearance descends from ancient Indian yaksha figures. In visual iconography, the Hindu god Kubera, also a wealth deity, and Jambhala are essentially identical, while Vaishravana can be easily distinguished by the presence of armor, among other things. In many representations of Kubera, Vaishravana, and Jambhala, including in the present lot, the mongoose that the deity clutches spews jewels, exemplifying the wealth-granting powers of all three deities.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related Tibetan painted black stone figure of Jambhala, dated to the 15^th century, illustrated on Himalayan Art Resources, item number 9004, and further published and exhibited by John Eskenazi, Images of Faith: Buddhist Art, Inaugural Exhibition, London, 25 May-23 June 1995, and the Albuquerque Museum in association with Pratapaditya Pal, Tibet: Tradition and Change, 18 October 1997-24 May 1998.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 12 September 2018, lot 375
Price: USD 18,750 or approx. EUR 20,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilded and painted black-stone stele of Jambhala, Tibet, 17^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related subject as well as the related modeling and manner of carving. Note the size (20.5 cm), arch, and strongly worn gilding.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 14 September 2010, lot 73
Price: USD 92,500 or approx. EUR 117,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare black stone stele of Vajravarahi, Nepal, 15^th century
Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of carving. Note the size (20.6 cm), arch, and strongly worn gilding.