CENTRAL ASIA, CIRCA 15TH CENTURY

Finely cast in voluminous robes, this unusual pair of king and queen draws comparison to the 12th-13th century Ladakhi murals in the Sumstek temple and the Dukhang assembly hall at the Alchi Monastery Complex. Compare the present figures to the Royal patrons with related headgear and robes published by R. Linrothe in 'Talisman, Reliquary and Instrument of Enlightenment: The Alchi Sumtsek as a Mandalic Site,' Orientations, January 1999, fig. 11, p. 28. Though the work draws comparison to the Alchi site, the unusual robes and headgear are not distinctly Tibetan, but indicative of a Central Asian origin. In fact, the similar silk turbans and patterned robes worn by the Dro Clan nobel figures at Alchi stem from Central Asian Turkic-speaking nomads of the prior centuries. The present figures are executed with remarkable refinement given the difficulties of cast iron. The patterned hems, studded belts and fanciful turbans are all finely damascened in gold. No other figures of this type appear to be recorded.