A RARE GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF VARAHA, NEPAL, 16TH-17TH CENTURYCast striding on a nagaraja above a lotus base, dressed in a loin cloth, adorned with beaded jewelry and bangles, his left arm raised supporting the goddess Bhudevi, his face in the form of a boar with long snout and two protruding fangs, standing on a coiled snake next to a small depiction of Buddha Muchalinda. The base sealed and incised with a double vajra.Provenance: From the private collection of Angela Trueb, Somerset, United Kingdom, and thence by descent in the same family. Angela Trueb (1918-1991) was the wife of Swiss coffee planter Hans Trueb. During her childhood, she spent many years in a coffee estate in Doddengudda, South India, and later moved to India again with her husband. Trueb inherited her mother’s passion for Indian religious sculptures and art. During her stay in India, Trueb invested a lot of time and energy into researching Indian temple sites and started her collection, which was later moved to her home when her family returned to Somerset in 1967.Condition: Very good condition with expected old wear, few nicks and dents, light surface scratches, and casting flaws. Very good, naturally grown patina overall. Sealed.Weight: 646.5 gDimensions: Height 14.1 cmThe present figure depicts Vishnu as the cosmic boar Varaha telling the scene where the god prevents the earth from flooding. The earth goddess Bhudevi was captured by the demon Hiranayaksha and trapped in the cosmic waters when Vishnu took the form of a divine boar and rescued her after defeating the primeval serpent monster.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s New York, 15 September 2015, lot 22Price: USD 12,500 or approx.EUR 15,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A gilt bronze figure of an animal-headed attendant, Tibet, 16th/17th centuryExpert remark:pare the related pose, beast head, and size (15 cm)十六至十七世紀尼泊爾罕見銅鎏金筏羅訶像豬頭大聖左腿膝蓋微屈，大開步站在蓮座上，長鼻子和兩顆獠牙突出，腰圍圍裙，佩戴珠飾和手鐲，左臂高舉，托著女神布德維；脚下盤繞的蛇，一側坐著那迦龍王目支鄰陀像。底座用雙金剛杵密封。