A BRASS INCENSE STICK HOLDER IN FORM OF THE PRECIOUS ELEPHANT, HASTIRATNA, TIBET, 17TH-18TH CENTURY

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A BRASS INCENSE STICK HOLDER IN FORM OF THE PRECIOUS ELEPHANT, HASTIRATNA, TIBET, 17TH-18TH CENTURY Finely cast, the caparisoned elephant standing foursquare upon a rectangular stepped base embellished with scrolling vegetal ornament, its head gently lowered and the trunk curled inward. The animal is richly adorned with harnesses, pendant bells, anklets, and an elaborate saddlecloth with borders finely incised with scrolling foliate motifs and the central panel decorated with a stylized lotus design. The body is surmounted by a lotus-form support carrying a ritual vase, its upper section pierced with three apertures intended to hold incense sticks and symbolically evoking the Three Jewels of Buddhism (Triratna). The underside sealed with a copper plate neatly incised with a double-vajra. Dimensions: Height 9.8 cm, Length 10 cm Expert’s note: The hastiratna, or ‘Precious Elephant’, is one of the Seven Treasures (saptaratna) of the chakravartin, the ideal universal monarch of Buddhist tradition. Described as possessing the strength of a thousand ordinary elephants, with a body as imposing as a mountain and skin as white as snow, he embodies supreme strength, dignity, endurance, and sovereign authority. In battle he is said to be fearless and inexhaustible, capable of traversing the continent of Jambudvipa three times in a single day; in peacetime, however, his gait is serene and gentle, and his character wise and perfectly obedient. He follows the chakravartin’s commands almost instinctively, emphasizing the effortless dominion of the universal ruler. Some traditions further associate the Precious Elephant with the six-tusked Airavata, the celestial elephant of Indra. In Buddhist art, the hastiratna may appear richly adorned and occasionally carries the Precious Wheel or the covered alms bowl of Shakyamuni Buddha upon his back. Literature comparison: See a related, earlier, and caparisoned elephant, Liao dynasty, dated c. 1000s, 18.5 cm high, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1980.24. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 2 October 2012, lot 1639 Price: USD 6,250 or approx. EUR 7,800 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and similar bejeweled decoration to the body and head. Note the larger size (20.3 cm).

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