Single-Owner Collections

A Tibetan iron devil hook, probably 14th/15th century, with silvered and gilt decoration, cast with scrolls, skull and devil, his hair forming the loop terminal, length 17.1cm, attached to a human bone disc bead mala, total length 27cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan brown patinated bronze phurba (ritual dagger), 19th/20th century, the stepped handle cast with three tiers of three deity masks below a horse-head terminal, centred with a vajra knop and zoomorphic mask issuing a triple-sided blade, length 38.4cm, with hardwood stand. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan gilt bronze figure of Dorje Ta'og, 17th/18th century, finely modelled seated on a lion holding a vajra aloft in his right hand, height 14.2cm, on a later wood circular base. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: Dorje Ta'og is the protector of the Sera Monastery in Lhasa, one of the 'Great Three' Gelug University Monasteries of Tibet. For a similarly modelled figure of Dorje Ta'og, see Sotheby's Indian, Himalayan & South East Asian Works of Art sale, 22nd September 2020, Lot 341.

A Tibetan painted kapala, 15th/16th century, the human skull bowl painted to the interior with an image of Vajrapani/Mahakala on a red ground, length 17.2cm, with bronze tripod stand. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: in Tibetan Buddhism, a kapala or skull cap is used in sacred rituals.

A Javanese bronze two-section figure of Avalokitesvara, probably 13th century, modelled seated in lalitasana, the double lotus throne with rectangular base, height 11cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Himalayan banded agate spherical bead mala necklace, comprising one hundred and eight spherical beads with brown, russet, white, grey and cinnamon banding, total length 152cm, bead diameter 1.4cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Himalayan turquoise bead mala necklace, comprising one hundred and eight circular bun-shaped beads with spacer and marker beads, total length 166cm, bead diameters 1.5cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Thai Sukhothai carved stone Buddha head fragment, 15th century, finely carved with serene expression, gentle smile, arched eyebrows and downcast eyes, his hair tightly curled, length 6.4cm (lacking flame usnisa). Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Chinese bronze figure of Guanyin, Song dynasty, modelled seated in dhyanasana with hands held in abhaya mudra, wearing a headdress, beaded necklace and long robe, height 9.5cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Chinese silvered bronze figure of a guardian, Northern Wei dynasty (386-534 AD), with verdigris patination, the slender figure modelled wearing a long robe and hands held together at the front, height 38cm, with a late Ming gilt bronze double lotus stand, height 9.5cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection and the Richard Truscott Collection.

A Tibetan bronze figure of Buddha, 19th century, modelled seated in dhyanasana on a lotus throne, his hair tightly curled and rising to a domed usnisa, height 13.2cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan plated and copper gau (amulet box or portable shrine), 19th century, of oval form with embossed foliate decoration and central coral boss, length 10.3cm (faults), together with a plated hinged bangle with lobed decoration, marked with arrow and circular motif to interior, diameter 8.7cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A group of three Tibetan phurbas, 16th/17th century, comprising a bronze example with cast three heads of Vajrakila pommel and vajra crown finial, the lotus and eternal knot handle with mount of Makara terminal issuing a three-sided tapering blade, length 20.2cm, together with a smaller similar iron example with skull pommel, length 12.7cm, and a bronze example with skull pommel, length 17cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan lapis lazuli carving of Jambhala or Kubera, probably 12th century, modelled seated wearing a headdress and robes, holding a mongoose in his left hand and fruit in his right, on a lotus throne, height 17.2cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan cast bronze healing horse figure, 17th/18th century, modelled standing four-square wearing saddle cloth, saddle and tack hung with two pendants from the neck, height 10.2cm, length 12.5cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: healing horses were more prevalent in China, where they were used to indicate the source of pain in both human and animal patients.

A Tibetan carnelian bead necklace, comprising seventy-two fluted circular beads with three larger spacer beads and a marker bead, total length 102cm, bead diameters 1.2cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan stained bone apron ornament, probably 20th century, carved and pierced with a standing figure of Garuda, length 14.3cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Sino-Tibetan carved and stained bone plaque of curved rectangular form, carved in low relief with Buddha seated on a lotus throne, length 8.5cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Chinese archaic bronze circular mirror, probably Tang dynasty, one side cast with a lion, bird and grape design, diameter 11.9cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.