Lot 599
19th C. Himalayan Newari Kapala - Skull Bowl, Triangular Dharmodaya, Cover
19th C. Himalayan Newari Kapala - Skull Bowl, Triangular Dharmodaya, Cover
Starting Bid: $500
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Central Asia, Himalayan, Nepal, Newari workshop for the Tibetan market., ca. 1800 - 1899 CE. A complete three-part ritual kapala ensemble of silvered copper, wrought in the repousse and chased traditions of the Kathmandu Valley and destined for the altars of Tibetan tantric practice. Newari metalsmiths, long the preferred artisans of the Himalayan Buddhist world, supplied the great monasteries of Tibet with ritual implements of this kind throughout the Qing era and into the modern period, their workshops translating the iconographies of wrathful meditation into objects of remarkable refinement. The ensemble comprises three elements, each laden with doctrinal meaning. The triangular stand, its sides rising in tiered registers of lotus petals and lobed bands, embodies the dharmodaya, the cosmic triangle from which all phenomena are said to arise. Upon it rests the kapala bowl, a metal substitute for the human cranium traditionally employed in higher tantric rite, encircled by a mundamala of repousse skulls rendered as discrete rounded forms in the manner favored by nineteenth century Newari workshops. Size: 6.1" W x 8.1" H x 7" D (15.5 cm W x 20.6 cm H x 17.8 cm D)
The bowl's forward face bears three severed heads in high relief, their expressions schematic yet arresting, signifying the three kayas (dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, nirmanakaya) or, in alternate readings, the three times of past, present, and future. This triad marks the vessel unambiguously as an implement of wrathful cycle practice, suited to the sadhanas of Heruka, Chakrasamvara, Vajrayogini, and Mahakala, deities who consume the amrita or rakta the kapala was made to hold.
The domed lid is the ensemble's chief showpiece, chased with a dense floriate program likely incorporating elements of the ashtamangala, the eight auspicious emblems of Buddhist tradition. A narrower band of scrolling foliate ornament encircles the lid's lower edge, its rhythm answering the lotus registers of the base below. Surmounting all is a half-vajra finial, the ardhavajra, its prongs declaring the indestructible nature of awakened wisdom.
The repousse work throughout displays the depth and assurance characteristic of mature nineteenth century Newari practice, while the warm copper tones now visible at the high points record the gradual abrasion of the silver wash through generations of handling and ritual use. Composed of 98.7 percent copper with a 1.26 percent silver overlay, the piece exemplifies the Newari technique of working a comparatively soft and tractable substrate beneath a precious-metal skin, a tradition of economy and ingenuity that placed objects of liturgical splendor within reach of monastic communities across the plateau.
Such complete three-part kapala ensembles, with stand, bowl, and lid surviving together in their original configuration, are markedly less common than isolated bowls or lids encountered on the market. The integrity of this set, paired with its iconographic completeness and the unmistakable hand of the Kathmandu Valley workshops, recommends it to collectors of Himalayan ritual art and students of the tantric material tradition alike.
Provenance: private New Jersey, USA collection, before 2000
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Item #
201669
- Condition: Some light weathering and surface wear commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent wit impressive remaining detail and rich patina throughout.
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|---|---|---|
| $0 | $749 | $25 |
| $750 | $1,499 | $50 |
| $1,500 | $2,999 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $7,499 | $250 |
| $7,500 | $14,999 | $500 |
| $15,000 + | $1,000 |