cast seated on a supine corpse with the hands spread over the upper beaded edge of the lotus base, the primary hands depicted holding a katrika and kapala filled with amrita, the secondary hands a flaming khadga and khatvanga, further rendered with a ferocious expression framed by an elaborate five-skull crown and wheel earrings, his corpulent body further adorned with beaded jewellery and a long garland of severed heads, traces of pigment, the base sealed with a plate

The dharmapala and yidam Mahakala manifests in dozens of forms. The current manifestion of Chaturbhuja Mahakala, a protector of the Chakrasamvara Tantra, is depicted with the primary hands holding a kartrika and kapala filled with amrita; the secondary hands holding a flaming khadga and khatvanga. Compare a 16th century silver and copper-inlaid copper alloy figure of identical iconography from the Sporer collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 15th September 2015, lot 26. See also a silver figure of Chaturbhuja Mahakala from the Nyingjei Lam collection, sold in these rooms, 3rd October 2017, lot 3115.