A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF INDRA NEPAL, DATED 1846 The base of the sculpture with an inscription dated Samvat 966 (1846 CE). Himalayan Art Resources item no. 200584 4 in. (10.2 cm) high Footnotes: 尼泊爾 1846年 銅鎏金帝釋天像 Published Melissa Kerin, Artful Beneficence: Selections from the David R. Nalin Himalayan Art Collection, 2009, pp. 56-57, no. 28. Gautama Vajracharya, Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual, 2016, pp. 157-58, pl. 50. Exhibited Artful Beneficence: Selections from the David R. Nalin Himalayan Art Collection, Rubin Museum of Art, New York, 12 June - 9 November 2009. Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual, Rubin Museum of Art, New York, 6 May 2016 - 27 March 2017. Provenance David R. Nalin Collection, acquired 1970s Indra, King of the Gods, sits with arms outstretched, recalling the Newar legend of Indra Jatra, when he descended to Kathmandu to steal a parijat flower for his mother and was captured. By revealing himself and promising rain and prosperity, he was released. His open arms symbolize surrender and blessing, embodying humility and generosity. Crowned with a tall mitre, adorned with jeweled ornaments, and encircled by a flaming aureole, this late Newar sculpture echoes earlier prototypes such as the 14th-century Indra sold at Sotheby's, New York, 21 March 2024, lot 828, a 17th-century Vishnu (Kerin, Artful Beneficence 2009, p.40, no. 20) and a 17th/18th-century Three Tantric Deities (ibid. p.42, no.21). For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing