TIBETO-CHINESE, 18TH CENTURY

The deity of compassion and wisdom in this lot is depicted seated in a lalitasana pose on a double lotus base, with her right leg extended and resting on a lotus. Her face is crafted with downcast eyes, and her hair is tied in a chignon, with two strands of hair curling upwards behind her ears. Adorned with jewellery and a tiara, Tara has her right hand resting on her knee in varadamudra (gesture of charity) and her left hand raising in vitarkamudra (gesture of debate and discussion), both common gestures in representations of Tara. Her tiara, belt, and anklets are ornamented with semiprecious gemstones.
Two Tibeto-Chinese gilt-bronze sculptures of Tara, strikingly similar in design, are housed at the Brooklyn Museum, New York (acc. nos. 75.172.1 & X620). A bronze Tara sculpture of a similar date and modelling was sold at Sotheby’s Paris on 21 December 2023, lot 61.