A BONE PLAQUE FROM A TANTRIC SHANMUDRA (APRON)... Lot n° 10

A BONE PLAQUE FROM A TANTRIC SHANMUDRA (APRON) DEPICTING MAHAKALA, TIBET, 17TH-18TH CENTURY Finely carved from an elongated section of bone, the central figure standing in ardhaparayanka on a beaded lotus pedestal, his left hand held in karana mudra and his right hand cradling a kapala. His face with a stern expression, brows furrowed, wearing a skull tiara backed by a radiating aureole, and adorned in elaborate beaded jewelry and a diaphanous dhoti. The upper and lower sections carved with scrolling vines; the verso pierced horizontally for mounting. Provenance: From the collection of Onno Janssens, Netherlands. Onno Janssens (born 1941) is an Olympiad bridge player and prominent collector of Tibetan and Southeast Asian art. He began assembling his impressive collection during the 1990s after studying Tibetology, and part of his collection has been sold at Christie’s in a legendary sale. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, natural flaws, age cracks, and a shallow chip to one end. Weight: 53.6 g Dimensions: 15.3 cm Literature comparison: Compare a closely related bone plaque depicting a tantric deity standing in ardhaparayanka, 15.9 cm long, dated ca. 16th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1980.528.1. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 October 2018, lot 197 Price: HKD 31,250 or approx. EUR 4,100 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A carved bone apron ornament with tantric deity, Nepal, 16th-18th century Expert remark: Compare the related form and style albeit with a depicting a different deity. Note the similar size (16 cm).