The Vajra Gallery collection is an eclectic array of special artwork and rare antique objects, which have been gathered together by virtue of their depth, potency and presence, and their power to inspire and transform.
Please take some time to peruse the entire collection, and feel free to request further information, condition reports, or larger file photographs.
[ We ship most items worldwide with no additional charge ]
We are currently offering a superb collection of antique tingsha ritual cymbals. Each and every one is exemplary
of the highest quality craftsmanship, and were originally
chosen for their sonic excellence. All are made of very
high-quality bell alloys, each pair is perfectly matched and
tuned, and all have been used within a Tibetan Buddhist
ritual context. These 14 examples are arguably the finest
array of antique tingsha offered anywhere on the planet.
We will soon be offering several upper echelon antique
singing bowls, shang, gongs and other cymbals from the
same collection, so stay tuned!
Among prominent 20C photographers, we are showing works by William Mortensen and Jan Saudek. We also have several choice examples of 19C albumen travel photographs.
Also included among our paintings are several beautiful 17th to 19th century Indian miniatures depicting, Krishna and Radha, and Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh and Nandi. Also from India you will see a 10C Hindu sandstone sculpture and Buddhist bronzes from the Pala and Post-Gupta periods.
[ Sculpture ]
In our SE Asian section we are offering several copper-alloy figures of Ganesh from the Majapahit Kingdom, Java, Indonesia, and an example of 16-17C bronze sculpture from Chiang-Saen, Thailand.
Also from Tibet is perhaps the most mysterious object in the entire collection(S0065), and one which has confounded everyone who has seen it - from museum curators and experienced collectors to Tibetan Rinpoches. I was told it is petrified dinosaur bone which was carved around the 12th century. We welcome any input that may help to further clarify the identification of this, and any other object shown on the site. Other stand-outs among our special pieces include:
A very early image of Christ the Pantocrator, in encaustic on wood panel, that exudes a palpable depth and spiritual presence. A rare Hindu holy object from the Narmada River in India - a Shiva linga with the mouth of the goddess Kali.
ware including rare and early bowls (chawan) from the renown collection of Sir W. C. Van Horne, the Canadian RR magnate, pieces he gathered in the late 19th and very early 20th centuries.
We also have several special pottery pieces by the 19thC Japanese Buddhist nun Otagaki Rengetsu, a 12-13C Song Dynasty Hare's Fur Tenmouku bowl from China, as well as a blue and white Kangxi period bowl and a 17-18C Irabo-Korai Korean bowl.
In addition, we have a very rare example of 12th-14th century Vietnamese pottery: a covered tea-dust-celadon glazed jar, with sgriffito incised foliate decoration, which was deaccessioned from the Saigon museum in the middle of the last century.
[ Native American Items ]
From the Western hemisphere, we have some very special ritual items associated with the Native American Church; a prayer staff and bone whistle from a ceremonial peyote roadman's estate, as well as gourd rattles, prayer fans and early peyote-inspired jewelry pieces. Select Navajo rugs and blankets, Pueblo pottery by the Hopi, Cochiti, Zia, and other tribes, and special pieces of antique Southwestern Native American jewelry.
