Lot 244. A rare and highly important gilt bronze figure of Kunzang Akhor, Nepal, 13th century. Estimate US$ 800,000 – $1,200,000. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

Seated in dhyanasana with his hands in his lap, clad in a short dhoti incised all over with flowers and a foliate pattern on the hems, adorned with various beaded ornaments and with a raised Tibetan 'a' on his chest, the face with prominent nose flanked by foliate earrings, the hair pulled into a high chignon and secured with a tiara, the base sealed and incised with a double-vajra - 18 3/8 in. (46.7 cm.) high

Provenance: Private collection, Thailand, since 1998
Acquired from Christie's New York, 23 March 2010, lot 246 

Literature: J. Watt, Embodying Enlightenment: Buddhist Art of the Himalayas, 2015, p.12
Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org), item no.57039

Exhibited: Embodying Enlightenment: Buddhist Art of the Himalayas, McClung Museum, University of Tennessee, 10 September 2015 - 3 January 2016

Notes: Kunzang Akhor is the meditational form of the transcendental Tibetan Bon deity, Shenlha Okar, whose name is associated with peaceful white light. The Bon religion descends from the ancient beliefs of Tibet before the arrival of Buddhism in the eighth century. Although Bon and Buddhist imagery share many similarities, the practice of featuring Tibetan letters as sacred symbols is more common in Bon iconography. Kunzang Akhor is generally recognized by the Tibetan letter "A" placed on the chest at the level of the heart, and he is depicted seated in meditation with a peaceful appearance, sometimes holding the stems of lotus blossoms. "A" is the final letter of the Tibetan alphabet, inherent in all the consonants, and therefore is the phonetic symbol of Primeval or Absolute Reality. There are numerous traditions of ritual cycles, including those associated with memorial practices. While in Tibetan Buddhism it is common to have a painting created in memoriam, in the Bon Religion it is more common and considered of greater merit to commission a sculpture, especially that of Kunzang Akhor.