A RARE LARGE BRONZE FIGURE OF HAYAGRIVA

Description:

Tibeto-Chinese, 18th c.
H. 39 cm (m.S.)
Standing with his multiple legs in alidhasana, his six arms radiating around his body, the hands showing the specific gestures and holding the prescribed attributes, wearing tiger-skirt, scarf draped around his shoulders with its streamers encircling his arms and its finials curling up, mala of severed heads, bejewelled, his triple faced head displaying each a wrathful expression with bulging eyes below raised bushy eyebrows, open mouths showing double rows of teeth and fangs, beards framing their chin, elongated earlobes with large ear-ornaments, his red coloured flaming hairdo secured with tiaras set with skulls and decorated with three horse heads, mounted on an associated lotus base.
Old German private collection, assembled between 1960 and 1995
In Hinduism, Hayagriva, “The Horse-headed One”, is a term designating two characters linked to the Vishnu tradition. Hayagriva is the name of a demon slain by Vishnu during the mythical Taraka battle. According to relatively recent speculation, he was reincarnated as Kesin, the youngest brother of Kamsa, thereby becoming a majestic part of the Krishna legend. Vishnu himself, in a form with a horse’s head, promulgates the Vedas. In this frightening form, sometimes considered as one of his avatars, he exterminates certain demons such as Madhu and Kaitabha.
Wear, partly very minor damages due to age, attributes partly lost