Tibetan Copper Wrathful Armored Protector Deity Holding Serpent, Dharmapala

East Asia, Tibet. A commanding cast-copper figure of a wrathful deity, seated in a relaxed half-lotus with one leg folded and the other pendant, resting upon a lobed lotiform base. The face is fierce and bearded, with bulging eyes, furrowed brow, and a flaming mane framing a five-leaf foliate crown. He wears elaborately incised lamellar armor, its scaled cuirass, shoulder guards, and cinched belt rendered with meticulous chasing, marking him as a martial protector. His proper left hand cradles a coiling serpent, while the right rises in a gesture of address. Such armored, snake-bearing guardians belong to the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon of dharmapalas and wealth deities, protectors invoked to guard the teachings and subdue obstacles. The dark, richly patinated copper surface lends the figure a brooding, votive gravity. The serpent held in the left hand and the martial armor point toward the iconography of a wealth or guardian deity within the Tibetan pantheon. Serpent-holding figures are frequently associated with the nagas, subterranean serpent spirits who guard treasure, and with wealth-bestowing protectors such as Jambhala and his retinue, or with armored dharmapalas charged with defending the Dharma. The five-leaf crown signals divine or enlightened status, while lamellar armor of this type reflects the enduring influence of Central Asian and Mongol military dress on Tibetan protector imagery. Figures like this were made for temple shrines and private altars, where they received offerings and served as focal points for protective ritual. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 204199

Estimate:$225

View all items fromArtemis Fine ArtsorSculptures