A WOOD SHRINE TO BHAIRAVA


Nepal, 17-18th centurywith remains of polychromy.Himalayan Art Resources item no. 6176053 cm. (20 7/8 in.) high
|尼泊爾 十七至十八世紀 陪臚木刻神龕ProvenancePrivate Florida Collection, acquired in Nepal, 1967This rare shrine depicts the awesome face of Bhairava, the wrathful manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva, and conceptual antecedent to Vajrayana Buddhism's Mahakala. More common are the standalone 'Bhairava masks' of the Indrajatra festival, and shrines reproducing his full form (e.g. Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2018, lot 3040, and 13 September 2011, lot 1008; Pal, Art of Nepal, Los Angeles, 1985, p.130, no. S58; respectively). But here, Bhairava's two sons, Ganesha and Kumara, add auspiciousness, while staunch lions echo his striking countenance.