A GILT COPPER-ALLOY REPOUSSE PLAQUE DEPICTING A CITIPATI
Tibet, 18th century. Standing in a dynamic pose atop two conch shells supported on a lotus base, one arm raised and the other lowered, the rib cage neatly detailed, wearing only billowing scarves around the skeletal body. The Citipati shows a fierce expression with large eye sockets and protruding tongue and is flanked by two male figures with pendent genitalia standing atop smiling skulls.

Provenance: Old collection of Alain Milhau, Paris, France. A French private collector, acquired from the above.
Condition: Good condition with extensive old wear, particularly to gilt, some nicks and dents. Fine, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.

Weight: 439.5 g
Dimensions: Height 29.1 cm, Width 22.2 cm (at the widest points)

With a modern plexiglass stand. (2)

Expert's note: Memento mori (Latin for 'remember that you will die') is an artistic and symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death. Altogether sobering, and in some sense comforting, it's an epitaph for the masses - commoners and kings alike. Such art, which already appeared in ancient cultures (see fig. 1), is also associated with festivals in remembrance and honor of the deceased, as held by many peoples throughout the world. These include the Mexican Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos, see fig. 2) and several Tibetan festivals where the dance of the Citipati is performed.

Literature comparison: Compare a related Tibetan painted terracotta plaque depicting the Citipati, dated to the 18th century, in the Rubin Museum of Art, object number C2002.36.1.

銅鎏金錘揲屍陀林
西藏，十八世紀。屍陀林脚踏兩個海螺，站在蓮座上，一臂高舉一臂下垂，肋骨細節整齊，骨架上披著飄帶。 屍陀林表情兇猛，大眼窩，吐出舌頭，兩側是兩個男性人物，生殖器下垂，站在微笑的頭骨上。

來源：巴黎Alain Milhau收藏；法國私人收藏，購於上述收藏。
品相：狀況良好，有大量磨損，尤其是鍍金、一些刻痕和凹痕。 精美、自然生長的包漿銅綠，帶有孔雀石綠色和赤銅色結殼。

重量：439.5 克
尺寸：高 29.1 厘米，寬22.2 厘米 (最寬處)

現代有機玻璃支架。 (2)

專家注釋：Memento mori（拉丁語為“記住你會死”）是對死亡不可避免的藝術和象徵性提醒。 總而言之，它發人深省，在某種意義上令人欣慰，它是大眾的墓誌銘——平民和國王一樣。 這種藝術已經出現在古代文化中（見圖 1），也與世界各地許多民族的活動和紀念死者的節日有關。 其中包括墨西哥亡靈節（Día de los Muertos，見圖 2）和屍陀林舞的西藏節日。