TIBETO-CHINESE, 19TH CENTURY

The present lot is a splendid depiction of Tara, the supreme savior and goddess of mercy in Vajrayana Buddhism, best understood as a female counterpart to a bodhisattva. She is seated in dhyanasana over a double-lotus base with beaded rim and flowing banner details. Her hands are positioned gracefully in vitarkamudra, and she is dressed in a tight-fitting dhoti and adorned with beaded jewelry and large pendant earrings. She holds a pleasant expression with downcast eyes, and with hair pulled into a high chignon.

This splendid piece hails from the collection of Alfred Byrd Graf (1901-2001), a renowned German botanist and world traveler, dedicated his life to horticulture and plant exploration. He discovered over 100 new plant species, including notable varieties of Dracaena, Sansevieria, and the first white African violet, meticulously documenting them in an illustrated book series. Throughout his career, he embarked on numerous expeditions across the continents, seeking new species from New Guinea to Mount Kilimanjaro -- “a wall in [his home] displayed a map of the world with a pin dot for every place he and his wife, had gone plant hunting. Few areas were left dotless” (W. Saxton, Alfred Graf, 100, Botanist and Author of Plant Books, New York Times, 2002.). Byrd is known to have savored the ornamental usage of plants in Asia and had a deep appreciation for accompanying local sculptural and craft traditions.