Single-Owner Collections

A Chinese brown patinated bronze circular mirror, probably Tang dynasty, one side cast in relief with three wolves, diameter 13cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan human bone scarf slide, 18th/19th century, carved in relief with three skull masks, length 3.9cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan gilt bronze figure of Manjushri, 16th century, finely modelled seated in dhyanasana with arms raised in dharmachakra mudra and holding two stems of lotus rising up to his shoulders, wearing a five-leaf diadem, beaded necklaces, celestial scarf and dhoti, on a double lotus throne, height 16cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: Manjushri is the bodhisattva associated with the wisdom of Buddha and is commonly paired with Samantabhadra, the bodhisattva of compassion. The two bodhisattvas are important acolytes of Shakyamuni and are believed to have been historical figures, possibly disciples of the Buddha. For a similar figure, see Sotheby's Asian Arts/5000 Years, Paris 21st December 2023, Lot 48.

A Gandhara bronze comb, 2nd/3rd century, with verdigris patination, the figural surmount with Buddha and acolytes above tigers to the side, length 11.7cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Ceylonese gilt bronze figure of Buddha, probably 12th century, modelled seated in dhyanasana and holding his hands in dhyana mudra, wearing a long robe with rounded folds, on a waisted triangular base, height 10.7cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection; David Bowden, London 1990; and Bonhams Hong Kong, 2nd October 2018, Lot 112.

A North Indian Himachal Pradesh bronze altar figure of Ganesha, 12th century, modelled seated in lalitasana accompanied by two attendants at his side, on a pierced and stepped three-tier throne with arched aureole behind, height 15.4cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: Ganesha or Ganesh is one of the best known and most worshipped gods in the Hindu pantheon. The elephant-headed god is revered as the remover of obstacles and the god of wisdom and new beginnings. He is the son of Shiva and Parvati and widely worshipped in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, within India and beyond.

A Tibetan brown patinated bronze figural pendant of a healing horse, 12th/13th century, with traces of gilt, modelled standing four-square with saddle and tack, on an oval base, height 4.8cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: healing horses were used by Tibetan necromancers to indicate the source of pain in both human and animal patients.

A Tibetan bronze and iron grigug or kartika (ritual knife), 18th century, the bronze handle cast with vajra crown surmount, traces of red and gilt, the blade of curved crescent form, length 32cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: a grigug or kartika is a crescent-shaped hand-held ritual flaying knife used in tantric ceremonies of Vajrayana Buddhism.

A Sino-Tibetan brown patinated bronze figure of Abheda, 17th/18th century, modelled seated with hands held together in front of the chest, wearing a celestial scarf and long robe, on a double lotus throne, height 16.4cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: in Tibetan Buddhism, Abheda is one of the sixteen arhats, who are important figures, known for their enlightenment and dedication to protecting the dharma.

A Tibetan gilt bronze figure of a lama, possibly Vanaratna, 15th/16th century, modelled seated in dhyanasana, wearing a pandita hat and monk's robes, on a double lotus throne, height 12cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection; James Keggie, London, late 1960s; and Bonhams Hong Kong, 2nd October 2018, Lot 145. Note: Vanaratna (circa 1384-1468) was an Indian Buddhist monk and scholar who gained great literary renown.

A Tibetan bronze stupa, 12th/13th century, of bell-shaped form, the lotus knop finial above a ridged spire and gallery, on a turned tapered pedestal and double lotus base, height 11.6cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: a stupa or chorten is the most ancient form of Buddhist art, symbolizing the monumental funerary mounds of ancient India used to store the cremated remains of spiritually attained lamas and Buddha relics. In Tibetan Buddhism, a stupa represents the mind of Buddha (enlightened being) and of Buddhist practitioners. This is a Kadam-style stupa, named after the religious order of Tibetan Buddhism that flourished between the 11th and 14th centuries. Stupas are used for votive offerings, memorials and reliquaries and often contain consecratory items such as paper prayers, incense, stones or relics.

A Chinese jadeite bead mala necklace, comprising one hundred and eight spherical beads and a marker bead, of mottled apple green tone, length 154cm, bead diameters approx 1.4cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Chinese rock crystal bead mala necklace, comprising one hundred and eight smoky tinted spherical beads with larger red glass spacer/marker beads, hung with three tassels and a jade, amber and rock crystal pendant tassel, length 194cm, length of pendant tassel 29cm, diameters of rock crystal beads 1.5cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan plated-on-copper rectangular box, 19th century, the hinged lid pierced and decorated in relief with two dragons and scrolling tendrils within a flower and scrolling leaf border, the underside engraved with a pair of recumbent deer flanking a dharmachakra motif within a flowing and scrolling leaf border, length 14.2cm, containing a bronze finger of Buddha, length 10.2cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan gilt lacquered bronze figure of a deified monk, probably 14th century, modelled seated in dhyanasana, wearing a long robe, on a double lotus throne, height 18.3cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan silvered copper kangling trumpet, early 20th century, of traditional thigh bone form with embossed foliate scroll decoration, length 37cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: kangling trumpets were used in Tibetan Buddhist ritual ceremonies to subdue demons and other evil forces. They were originally made from human tibia or femur bones.

A Mongolian bronze figure of Guandi, 14th/15th century, the god of war modelled standing holding a dao (sabre) at his side, height 13cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan gilt bronze figure of a mahasiddha, 15th century, modelled seated in dhyanasana and wearing beaded jewellery, on a corpse-covered base, height 11.9cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: mahasiddhas belong to an Indian tradition of tantric practitioners between the 7th and 12th centuries, much revered in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism.

A Tibetan brown patinated bronze figure of Amitabha Buddha, 18th/19th century, modelled seated in dhyanasana wearing an elaborate headdress, celestial scarf and beaded jewellery, on a double lotus base, height 14.5cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: Amitabha is one of the main Buddhas of Mahayana Buddhism and the most widely venerated Buddhist figure in East Asian Buddhism. Amitabha is also known by the name Amitayus, meaning 'Measureless Life'.