A VERY LARGE TANTRIC BONE CARVING WITH MAHAKALA AND VAJRAYOGINI, 17th – 18th CENTURYBone with exquisite patina ranging from honey to deep amber hues Tibet, 17th – 18th century To one side of this oversize bone carving we see the detailed tantric portrayal of Mahakala with his consort in yab-yum. The wrathful deity is standing atop human corpses and at his feet is what appears to be a human with a ritual tantric mask and a serpent tongue. Flames are in the backdrop and at the lower end we see a stylized mountain range. The other side bears the portrayal of the wrathful female deity Vajrayogini standing on human figures and drinking blood from a kapala. Around her neck is a skull necklace and she holds a curved knife in one of her hands. Again, the backdrop shows flames yet the lower end on this side features a stylized lotus petal border. The carving is made from one piece of bone with oval bone insets sealing the base and top. Shape: Irregular tapered cylinder shape with high relief sculpting Weight: 2,024 grams Dimensions: Height 26 cmCondition: very good condition with appealing authentic patina, very minor chips to few exposed areas Provenance: old and important Austrian private collection - acquired in the 1980s in the art trade Auction results comparison: for related tantric bone carvings for a ritual apron see Bonhams, Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Works of Art, New York, 17 Sep 2014, lot 72 or Bonhams, THE PRESENCER COLLECTION OF BUDDHIST ART, 2 Okt 2018, HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY, lot 197.大型密宗骨雕大黑天與空行母骨雕，包漿凝重，蜜色至蜜蠟色肌理 西藏，十七至十八世紀造型：不規則錐形圓柱躰，深浮雕重量：2,024 克 尺寸：高 26 厘米品相：保存狀況極好，銅綠真實迷人，局部暴露區域可見小裂口 來源：重要奧地利私人老收藏 – 購於上世紀八十年代的藝術市場