5. STATUETTE D'ACHALA EN LAITON TIBET, XIIIE SIÈCLE Himalayan Art Resources item no. 4889 11.5 cm (4 1/2 in.) high A BRASS FIGURE OF ACHALA TIBET, 13TH CENTURY 西藏 十三世紀 不動明王銅像 Provenance: With Claude de Marteau, Brussels, by 1970s This diminutive sculpture has a strong presence, especially evident from the prominent flaming aureole at back and the powerful stout modelling of the deity. Achala, the Immovable One, is wielding a long sword in his raised right hand. He stands in a warrior posture, in an early iconographic display of the deity, trampling over an elephant. The overall treatment of the figure derives from the Pala tradition, evident from the double square lotus petals, fishtail ends of the ribbons, and brassy finish as seen on an image of Achala sold at Bonhams, Hong Kong, 2 December 2020, lot 1003, and another from the Qing Court collection (see Wang ed., Buddhist Statues of Tibet, 2003, p. 125, pl. 119). That being said, the uncommon details of the double semicircles along the aureole set this figure apart from the Northeast Indian traditions, but are shared by a near-identical Tibetan example in the Jokhang Monastery (von Schroeder, The Jokhang Bronzes, in Dorje ed., Jokhang - Tibet's Most Sacred Buddhist Temple, 2009, part 4, pl. 15D). Even compared to the Jokhang example, the semi-circles also appear along the lower rim of the lotus base are uniquely featured.