A rare pair of Tibetan gilt bronze figures of Nakula, 16th/17th century, each mongoose modelled in a crouching pose, grasping a jewel between its teeth, the face with cold painted detail, length 15.5cm. Provenance: Robert Bouatta, London, 2005, and Bonhams Hong Kong, 2nd October 2018, Lot 103. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: mongooses are not native to Tibet, but their use illustrates the approach Tibetans took to preserving core Indian Buddhist teachings and iconography. The wealth deities, Jambhala and Kubera, are often depicted accompanied by a mongoose (nakula), which they would squeeze to spit out gems.