213 - STANDING MAHAKALA BRONZE TIBET 18TH CENTURY

STANDING MAHAKALA BRONZE TIBET 18TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 7 cm Wide 6 cm Depth 3,5 cm Weight: 251 grams with base A small but energetic Tibetan bronze image of Mahakala, the wrathful Buddhist protector shown in a dancing posture with multiple arms spreading around the body. His fierce expression is defined by bulging eyes and bared teeth beneath a crown with skull imagery, while traces of red pigment survive in recessed areas. The compact modelling concentrates the deity's force into a dense, animated silhouette. Mahakala belongs to the class of dharmapalas, protectors whose terrifying appearance expresses enlightened power directed against spiritual obstacles rather than malevolence. Skull ornaments and wrathful gestures symbolise the transformation of ignorance and attachment within Vajrayana practice. The hands would originally have carried ritual attributes associated with the deity's protective functions. Despite its small scale and surface wear, the bronze retains a compelling sense of movement and the intense visual language characteristic of Tibetan tantric imagery.