Single-Owner Collections

A Tibetan bronze phurba, probably 18th century, with cast figural zoomorphic handle, the mouth of Makala issuing a three-sided tapering blade, length 21.3cm, together with a smaller silvered iron phurba with faceted knop handle and three-sided tapering blade, length 15cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Tibetan brown patinated bronze figure of Kubera, 17th/18th century, modelled seated, holding a jewel in his right hand and a mongoose in his left, wearing turquoise and coral jewelled headdress and jewellery, his face with silvered eye detail, height 15cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection. Note: Kubera is the god of wealth and prosperity. He is often depicted with a plump body, adorned with jewels and accompanied by a mongoose in Buddhist iconography. In Tibetan, the mongoose is considered a symbol of Kubera's victory over the Nagas - the guardians of treasures.

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.

A Tibetan gilt bronze miniature figure of Buddha, 18th century, modelled seated in dhyanasana on a lotus throne, height 5cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A Ceylonese gilt bronze figure of Buddha, late Anuradhapura period, 8th/9th century, modelled seated in dhyanasana holding his hands in dhyana mudra, his hair tightly curled and rising to an usnisa with red gem set sirispata flame, height 10.5cm, on a serpentine carved amethyst quartz double lotus throne. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection, Herbert Stone Collection, Harlow, 1979/80, Sotheby's London, 23rd November 1987, Lot 100, and Bonhams Hong Kong, 2nd October 2018, Lot 111.

A Javanese bronze figure of Buddha, 12th century, modelled seated in lalitasana on a lotus throne and rectangular base, backed with an oval aureole with beaded border and finial, height 12.9cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.

A banded agate bead rosary, comprising twenty-six irregular beads with brown, black and white banding, length approx 60cm. Provenance: the Alain Presencer Collection.