TIBETO-CHINESE, 18TH CENTURY

This gilt-bronze figure depicts an unusual form of Jambhala as the attendant of Vaishravana, one of the four guardian kings of Buddhism. Jambhala is the Buddhist deity of wealth; he is most commonly depicted sitting in the posture of royal ease with his right leg extending below his throne. In this form, however, Jambhala rides atop a horse, signifying his allegiance to the Yaksha retinue of Vaishravana. In the manifestation of the present work, he holds a mongoose in his left hand, signifying his power to bestow wealth and material requisites for anyone seeking to follow the Buddhist path. The mongoose is also the enemy of naga spirits, a symbol of greed or hatred; he is also, thus, considered a protector deity. His right hand cradles a bijapurkarfruit, a symbol of abundance and enjoyment. The rotund body is covered with Chinese-styled armor and his head is topped with a Pala-inspired three-leaf crown popular in the Qing imperial court from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. Compare the billowing scarf, the petaled crown and the ornaments on the horse with a related gilt-bronze figure of Jambhala sold at Christie’s London, 7 November 2016, lot 143.