126 - Dākinī dance mask

Dākinī dance mask Copper, cut, embossed, chiseled, and gilded; shows signs of use and age. Tibet or Ladakh 14.8 x 21.1 cm Provenance: former Éric Chazot collection, Paris. The face takes shape within a delicate network of openwork metal. A prominent nose separates the wide eye openings, while a third eye adorns the forehead. Flaming scrolls adorn the eyebrows and cheeks, extending to the edges of the open mouth. The elongated ears frame this composition, in which the finesse of the repoussé work and the brilliance of the gilding lend the face a luminous presence. This type of mask was worn by lamas during the ritual dances accompanying Kālacakra initiations. Attached to their headdress, it allowed them to embody the female figures of the tantric world associated with offerings and awakened wisdom. The Kālacakra, or “Wheel of Time,” connects the cycles of the universe, those of the human body, and the spiritual path leading to Enlightenment. The dances take place within this ritual universe organized around the mandala, a representation of the deity’s sacred realm. The mask thus contributes to the dancer’s transformation into a presence offered up for the contemplation of the faithful. Comparative bibliography: Gilles Béguin, Gods and Demons of the Himalayas, 1977, cat. no. 329, ill. p. 265. Robert A. F. Thurman and David Weldon, *Sacred Symbols: The Ritual Art of Tibet*, 1999, cat. nos. 40 and 41.