249 - SEATED GILT BRONZE OF JAMBHALA CHINA 18TH CENTURY

SEATED GILT BRONZE OF JAMBHALA CHINA 18TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 10 cm Wide 8,5 cm Depth 4,5 cm Weight: 470 grams A richly modelled gilt-bronze Jambhala seated in a commanding pose on the back of a recumbent feline-like animal above a lotus base. The deity is broad-bodied and heavily adorned, wearing an elaborate crown, armour-like garments and curling scarves that frame the head and shoulders. One hand is held near the chest while the other extends downward with an attribute. The animal beneath turns its expressive head outward, adding a strongly animated counterpoint to the frontal deity. Jambhala is a Buddhist deity associated with wealth and prosperity, and his imagery often combines abundance with a forceful, protective presence. The corpulent body is not simply decorative: it is part of the visual language of plenitude, while jewels, vessels and richly worked costume reinforce the same theme. In Himalayan and Chinese Buddhist contexts, such figures could serve both ritual and devotional functions centred on material and spiritual well-being. The present bronze is particularly appealing for its compact density. Gilding, reddish copper tones and areas of green oxidation remain visible across the surface, giving the sculpture a layered colour that enlivens the crown, face, garments, animal and lotus base. Despite its small size, the group reads as a complete miniature world of deity, mount and ornament.