A Massive Rare Mongolian Copper Alloy Incense Sphere
Mongolia, 19th century
diameter: 25 cm
This sphere comprises two interlocking halves. It has two large images of a wrathful deity,
probably Palden Lhamo, the only female among the eight great dharmapala, amid open-cut
vegetal scrollwork. She is a protectoress of Buddhist governments and is popular with the
Gelugpa sect. She has a crown of five skulls, a skull sceptre in one hand and what is
probably a skull cup containing human blood in the other. She rides an extravagant snow
lion. Eight images of a smaller deity who sits on a throne of plantain leaves are also
present.
References: Free-standing incense burners with similar open-work, turquoise inlay and
deity plaques appear in Lipton, B., and Dorjee Ragnubs, N., Treasures of Tibetan Art:
Collections of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, Oxford University Press, 1996,
p. 235 and 241. See also Clarke, J., ‘A group of Sino-Mongolian Metalwork in the Tibetan
Style’, Orientations, May 1992, for more information on Mongolian metalwork.
Inventory no.: 38
Mongolia, 19th century
diameter: 25 cm
This sphere comprises two interlocking halves. It has two large images of a wrathful deity,
probably Palden Lhamo, the only female among the eight great dharmapala, amid open-cut
vegetal scrollwork. She is a protectoress of Buddhist governments and is popular with the
Gelugpa sect. She has a crown of five skulls, a skull sceptre in one hand and what is
probably a skull cup containing human blood in the other. She rides an extravagant snow
lion. Eight images of a smaller deity who sits on a throne of plantain leaves are also
present.
References: Free-standing incense burners with similar open-work, turquoise inlay and
deity plaques appear in Lipton, B., and Dorjee Ragnubs, N., Treasures of Tibetan Art:
Collections of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, Oxford University Press, 1996,
p. 235 and 241. See also Clarke, J., ‘A group of Sino-Mongolian Metalwork in the Tibetan
Style’, Orientations, May 1992, for more information on Mongolian metalwork.
Inventory no.: 38