Lot 75. A very rare small gilt-copper figure of Takkiraja, Nepal, circa 12th century; 7.8cm (3 1/8in) high. Estimate £ 3,000-4,000. Sold for £ 10,000 (€ 11,443). © Bonhams.

The wrathful deity standing in alidhasana, the right hand outstretched holding a hook, the left close to the chest, wearing a small garment incised with floral scrolls around the waist, adorned with an elaborate necklace and beaded anklets, the hair anklets, the long hair tied in a top knot surrounding a foliate tiara, with a later stand.

Provenance: the Jeannette Claude Jongen collection of Buddhist Art.

Published and Illustrated: A.Neven, Etudes D'Art Lamaique et de L'Himalaya, Brussels, 1978, p.117, pl.20 (the catalogue is offered as part of the lot).

Note: The diminutive size of this rare deity suggests that it was originally a part of a larger throne fulfilling his role of protector or directional guardian. See P.Pal, The Art of Nepal, Los Angeles, 1985, no.S22, p.103, for an elaborate 12th century casting of Scenes from the Life of Buddha in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art that contains closely related figures beneath the throne.

The large hook held in the right hand, which has curved due the almost pure soft nature of the copper alloy, indicates that the figure may have been a work of Newari craftsmen. As the guardian of the Southeast, Takkiraja is considered one of Three Great Red Ones (mar po kor sum) of the Guhyasamaja Tantra, along with Kurukulla of the Hevajra Tantra, Maharakta Ganapati associated with the Chakrasamvara Tantra. Compare the crown and proportions of a 13th/14th century Vajrapani suggested to be from the Khasa Malla region in the Alain Bordier Collection, see G.Beguin, Art sacre de Tibet, Suilly-la-Tour, 2013, p.114, no.44.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, London, 12 November 2015