The highlight of this season’s Indian and Himalayan Art auction is a group of eight masterpieces of Tibetan art from the Nyingjei Lam collection, sold to raise funds to support medical and educational projects throughout Asia. The centerpiece of the assemblage is the sublime 15th century parcel-gilt silver and gilt-copper image of Milarepa, unparalleled in quality and widely exhibited and published. The Tibetan section also includes a fine selection of Tibetan thangkas, including a 14th century mandala of Nairatmya originally in the collection of Stella Kramrisch, a rare 14th century Western Tibet Nyingma thangka of Shri Devi and a magnificent large 15th century image of Vaishravana.
The masterpiece of the Indian art section is an exquisite Pala inlaid figure of Avalokiteshvara. The sale also includes two collections of Indian stone with early provenance: the first, a selection of Gandharan, Kushan and medieval Indian carvings collected by the architect and exhibition organizer Jack Masey in the 1950s, the second a group of Pala carvings from a Japanese diplomat based in present-day Bangladesh in the 1950s.
The Indian and Himalayan Art auction will take place at Sotheby’s New York on 21 March as a part of Asia Week.