RARE AND IMPORTANT GOLDEN BRONZE MAHAKALA STATUE, Tibet, 18th century Depicted standing in pratyalidhasana and crushing an elephant-headed figure, his six arms holding various attributes including the kartrika, kapala, damaru and pasha, his face ferocious, crowned with a crown of skulls framing his hair in the form of flames, wearing a necklace embellished with human heads, the mandorla in flames; elements detached and missing. Total height: 26 cm (10 ¼ in.) Statuette height: 18 cm (7 in.) Provenance: major European private collection A rare and important gilt-bronze figure of Mahakala, Tibet, 18th century 西藏 十八世纪 铜鎏金大黑天像 来源 :重要欧洲私人珍藏，始于二十世纪初 Mahakala occupies an important place in Buddhism. He is the main protector of wisdom in Tibetan Buddhism, the wrathful form of the primordial Vajradhara, the supreme essence of all Buddhas. He can have two, four or six arms, as in this lot. In its six-armed form, it is also considered a fierce and powerful manifestation of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Mahakala's frightening appearance and the terrifying instruments he holds demonstrate his ability to confront our persistent and unwanted negativities. His most distinctive symbolic attributes are the cleaver (kartri) symbolising the cutting edge of wisdom and the skull bowl (kapala) filled with the blood of the vanquished demon. A smaller, seated, four-armed statuette of Mahakala in gilded bronze, dating from the 17th century, formerly in the collection of E.E. Ukhtomsky, is now in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg (no. y-1058). Mahakala has an important position in Buddhism. He is the main protector of Tibetan Buddhist wisdom's power and is a wrathful form of the primordial Vajradhara, the supreme essence of all Buddhas. He can be two-armed, four-armed or six-armed as in the present lot. In his six-armed form he is also considered as a fierce and powerful manifestation of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Mahakala's fearsome appearance and the terrifying implements that he holds display his capability to cope with our persistent and unwanted negativities. His most distinctive symbolic attributes are the chopper (kartri), symbolizing the sharp edge of wisdom and the skull bowl (kapala) filled with blood of defeated evil. A gilt-bronze figure of seated and four-armed Mahakala, dated 17th century, formerly in the collection of E.E. Ukhtomsky, now conserved in Hermitage Museum in Saint-Petersburg (inventory n° y-1058).