(c)Copyright 2009
Vajra Gallery
All rights reserved
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(E0001), 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.
