A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF CHAKRASAMVARA, LATE MALLA, THREE KINGDOMS PERIODNepal, 1520-1768. Striding in alidhasana with his consort Vajravarahi in yab-yum, the four-headed deity surmounted by a skull crown, his primary hands embracing his consort and holding a vajra and ghanta, the other ten hands holding attributes including damaru, kapala, kartika, and katvanga, dressed in a beaded loincloth, his legs flanked by two billowing scarfs, Vajravarahi wearing an elaborate skirt with skull pendant. Their faces finely incised with gently arched eyebrows centered by an urna, with almond shaped eyes, and a subtle smile.Provenance: British trade.Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear to the gilt, minimal losses, minor casting flaws, and few small malachite encrustations. The stand with few chips to the edges and natural age cracks.Weight: 1,269 g (incl. stand)Dimensions: Height 20.4 cm (incl stand)With a fitted hardwood base, probably Zitan, finely carved as a double lotus throne. (2)The Three Kingdoms period - the time of the later Mallas - began in 1520 and lasted until the mid-eighteenth century. Theplete flowering of the unique culture of the Kathmandu Valley occurred during this period, and it was also during this time that the old palaceplexes in the three main towns achieved much of their present-day forms. The kings still based their legitimate rule on their role as protectors of dharma, and often they were devout donors to religious shrines. Kings built many of the older temples in the valley, gems of late medieval art and architecture, during this final Malla period. The present figure seems to be rather early in the period, e.g., 16th to mid-17th century.The vision of Twelve-armed Samvara in an ecstatic, dance-like embrace with his consort Vajravarahi is one of the most exquisite subjects in Vajrayana Buddhist art. Meaning ‘Wheel of Bliss’ in Sanskrit, the union of the two deities is known as Chakrasamvara, as represented in this nearplete example. The deities embody the attainment of the highest yoga tantra tradition and Tibetan Buddhism's supreme ideal: the skilled union of perfect wisdom (Vajravarahi) andpassion (Samvara).Being soplex,only the very best artists were fit to undertake the challenge of casting Chakrasamvara. The task most often fell to Newari master craftsmen from Nepal who produced such sculptures for domestic and Tibetan wor. The stylistic preferences of each audience are somewhat slightly different. While many contemporaneous Tibetan examples emphasize the ferociousness of Chakrasamvara's facial expressions, here instead, a benign intimacy is shared between the deities gazing into each other's eyes. The sentiment betrays a preference in Nepal for showing divine couples in harmony, as representatives of ideal matrimony.Literatureparison:Compare a related two-armed gilt bronze figure of Chakrasamvara,