A PAIR OF CARVED LEG BONE TRUMPETS, KANGLING, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

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A PAIR OF CARVED LEG BONE TRUMPETS, KANGLING, 18TH-19TH CENTURY Tibet. Each fashioned from hollowed bone, the lower section pierced with two apertures and encased in stained ray skin, the tapering shafts meticulously carved in relief and divided into registers by beaded and scrolling borders. (2) The first flute is carved with a contorted cadaver attacked by a hound and bird beneath a large tree, the reverse depicting a seated yogi playing a hand-drum, together with a dharmachakra and endless knot amid scrolling clouds to the bottom. The second flute is carved with a dynamically dancing yogi holding ritual implements, the reverse decorated with a conch shell and endless knot, while the lower register depicts a dancing skeleton accompanied by an endless knot and a further auspicious emblem. Dimensions: Height 32.2 cm and 32 cm The rkang-gling (kangling) is part of a group of sacred instruments that emerged from India about 1,500 years ago. This rkang-gling is made from a thighbone, possibly of a lama priest. The Vajrayana (a tantric tradition of Buddhism) arrived in Tibet around 800 CE, and the rkang-gling trumpet appeared in the Himalayan regions some time over the next century. The rkang-gling (leg bone flute) is said to have a haunting sound and is typically used in rituals to summon spirits in order to help relieve worldly sufferings. These instruments are used in chöd rituals, a practice that combines Buddhist meditation and an ancient shamanic ritual native to Tibet. Primarily found in Tibetan Buddhism and Bön. The goal of this practice is to rid oneself of ego and disconnect from the body and material objects. Kangling with decoration carved directly into the bone are exceptionally rare. Most surviving examples are left plain or embellished with applied metalwork and textiles, making the richly carved motifs on the present pair especially rare. See a pair of larger bone trumpets depicting dancing figures, dated to the 18th-19th century or earlier, 64.9 cm high, from the Kienzle Family Collection, Stuttgart, and sold in these rooms on 7 March 2025, lot 12 (sold for EUR 3,380 or approx. EUR 3,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Literature comparison: Compare a related carved bone sorcerer’s horn, Tibet, dated to the 19th century, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number IS 9-1947. Compare a bone apron plaque with a similarly carved dancing goddess, Tibet, dated 17th-18th century, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.91.160.3.

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