A ROCK CRYSTAL BHAIRAVA MASK Nepal, 19^th century. The face with a fierce expression and large bulging eyes, furrowed eyebrows below the third eye. The mouth open to reveal sharp teeth, all below a broad nose, flanked by long earlobes. His hair appears as an aureole of fire.

Provenance: De-accession of The Dr. István Zelnik Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.
Condition: The mask with minor wear, few light scratches and minuscule nicks. The stone with natural fissures, of which some have developed into natural cracks over time. Some larger cracks on the front and back of the mask, with loss.

Weight: 342.6 g
Dimensions: Height 11.9 cm, width 9.2 cm

Auction result comparison: Compare a related rock crystal mask, dated to the 18^th century and of slightly smaller size (7.5 cm), sold in these rooms in Fine Chinese Art, Buddhism & Hinduism on 6^th March 2021, lot 446, sold for EUR 4,803.