Cast seated in lalitasana on a double lotus base with beaded rim, the right foot resting on a vessel issuing leaves, holding mongoose in his left hand and in the right a bijapuraka fruit, rotund belly, wearing fine jewelry and armlets, the face with round eyes, full lips forming a gentle smile, and the head surmounted by a floral tiara and tiered ushnisha. The base sealed and incised with a double vajra.

Provenance: From a German private collection.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few light scratches, tiny nicks, and casting flaws. Fine, smooth, naturally grown patina.

Weight: 598.7 g
Dimensions: Height 16.2 cm

This Tibetan bronze is stylistically informed by the Pala style of Northeastern India, which Tibetan artists drew on to produce their own sculptures. Pala idioms referenced here include the triangular foliate crown leaves, the crown's projecting side ribbons, and double lotus base with a beaded rim. Meanwhile, other aspects betray Tibetan characteristics, such as the base's plump and flattened lotus petals, both frequented throughout early Tibetan bronzes of the 13th and 14th centuries. This combination of stylistic elements exemplifies Tibetan artist's close apprenticeship of Pala art during and shortly after the Second Transmission of Buddhism from India to Tibet, known as the Chidar (late 10th-12th centuries).

Primarily known as the God of Wealth, Jambhala is one of the most popularly worshiped deities in Tibetan Buddhism, propitiated in order to avoid the mundane distractions of ensuring sustenance so that practitioners can focus on their spiritual training. Here, a skilled craftsman has represented the deity in his full, corpulent glory, symbolic of the abundance Jambhala is able to grant. Jambhala offers a bijapuraka fruit with his outstretched right hand, while his left massages the neck of a magical mongoose, prompting it to disgorge three strands of jewels from its plump belly. The deity rests his pendent right foot comfortably on a money pot, while clad in resplendent jewelry indicative of the wealth they store. With these delightful details, the master hand has produced a vision of Jambhala with wide-opened eyes and a faint smile—appearing alert and engaged—a reminder of the deity's imminent presence to the mortal realm.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related copper alloy figure of Jambhala, dated 13^th-14^th century, 21.6 cm high, formerly in the Nyingjei Lam Collection and sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 7 October 2019, lot 806. Compare a related bronze figure of Jambhala, late 13^th century, 21 cm tall, in the Norton Simon Museum, accession number M.1975.14.06.S. Compare a related bronze figure of Jambhala, 14^th century, 14 cm tall, in The British Museum, museum number 1983,1109.1.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 25 March 2004, lot 66
Price: USD 14,340 or approx. EUR 21,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Bronze Figure of Jambhala, Tibet, circa 13th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose, lotus base, and crown with side ribbons. Note the size (19 cm).