127 - Citipati mask-ornament, protective

Citipati mask-ornament, protective Embossed metal, gilding, and traces of red pigments. Tibet, 19th–early 20th century 26.7 x 21.3 cm Provenance, according to the information provided: former collection of Éric Chazot, Paris. The broadly domed forehead, crisscrossed by sinuous lines evoking cranial sutures, dominates two rounded eye sockets. The prominent cheekbones lead to a widely stretched mouth, revealing a double row of teeth. The suppleness of the repoussé metal gives this face a unique presence: stripped of flesh, it nevertheless retains the radiance of a smile. This depiction evokes the Citipati, the “Lords of the Cremation Grounds,” represented in Tantric Buddhism as a pair of protective skeletons. Their image invites us to contemplate impermanence: all forms appear, transform, and disappear. Here, the smile serves as an invitation to look without fear at that which eludes our desire for immortality. Awareness of death thus becomes a keener focus on existence and a path toward detachment. General Bibliography Jeff Watt, “Buddhist Protector: Shmashana Adhipati (Chitipati),” Himalayan Art Resources. Westin Harris, “A Viewer’s Guide to Wrathful Iconography in Himalayan Art,” Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art.