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Antique Tibetan Ushnishavijaya (Namgyalma) for a long life
€1,895Bid from €1,705.50
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Private sellerDamme, GermanyOn Whoppah since February 2025 • 3 sales
Product description
Important Antique Tibetan Ushnishavijaya (Namgyalma) – Nepal/Ladakh – 18th Century
Specifications: 21 cm high | 19 cm wide | 2.30 kg (Solid, thick-walled temple casting)
An exceptional, museum-quality, and monumentally heavy antique Himalayan bronze of the three-headed and eight-armed goddess of Long Life: Ushnishavijaya (known as Namgyalma in Tibetan). This altar statue was cast in the 18th century using the traditional lost-wax method (cire perdue). Despite its compact height of 21 cm, the statue weighs a remarkable 2.30 kilograms, indicating an extremely thick-walled and solid casting of the highest monastic quality.
Spiritual Function & Protection
Within Tibetan Buddhism, Ushnishavijaya is one of the most powerful and specific protective deities. She is the goddess of victory over death, extreme purification, and long life. Together with White Tara and Amitayus, she forms the three Buddhas of Long Life. Her presence serves three crucial spiritual functions:
Protection against premature death: Her primary task is to ward off acute dangers, severe illnesses, and accidents that can prematurely shorten one's natural lifespan. She functions as a spiritual shield that deflects negative obstacles.
Extreme karmic purification: Namgyalma possesses the unique power to destroy severe negative karma from the past and from previous lives down to its roots. Her energy cleanses deep spiritual blockages that hinder healing, prosperity, or enlightenment.
Bestower of life force and vitality: In her central hands, resting on her lap, she holds the kalasha (the sacred vase of life). This is filled to the brim with amrita: the divine nectar of immortality, ultimate health, and profound spiritual wisdom.
Irrefutable Technical Evidence of Age
Because this model was frequently replicated for commercial export at the end of the 20th century, this unique 18th-century example is distinguished by undeniable, authentic metal-technical facts:
Manual Chasing: Microscopic examination of the facial features (eyelids, corners of the mouth, and nostrils) reveals razor-sharp, angular incisions. These are the authentic, pre-industrial chisel marks of the goldsmith who manually worked the metal. This stands in sharp contrast to the fleshy, round forms of modern rubber molds.
Authentic Borax Crystals: Both deep inside the open base and in the deep folds around the mouth, there are hard, glistening, whitish-green efflorescences of crystallized borax salt. This historical flux, after centuries of exposure to humidity, has "sweated" out from the pores of the bronze and is immovably caked under the original temple patina.
The Open Base Tradition: Entirely in line with the early casting traditions from Nepal and the Ladakh region, the underside has historically always been left open and uncovered, without a copper sealing plate. The interior shows the irregular, undulating metal folds of old craftsmanship and is completely free of modern plaster or factory cores.
The Patina: The statue possesses a magnificent, deep olive and chocolate-brown temple patina with a beautiful layered gold "skin" in the deeper grooves (remnants of early fire gilding). Decades of intense ritual practices in the monastery have softly polished the edges of the lotus base.
Product Details
Culture / Region: Himalayan region (Nepal / Ladakh tradition)
Period: 18th century (approx. 1750–1800)
Material: Thick-walled cast bronze / monastic copper alloy with remnants of fire gilding
Height: 21 cm
Width: 19 cm
Weight: 2.30 kg (Extremely heavy, solid casting)
Condition: Exceptional antique condition. Completely original and unrestored. The authentic crystal and patina layers have been left fully intact.
Additional details:
- Brand: 1stbuddha
- Style: Tibetaans
- Style: Himalaya
- Material: koperlegering
- Material: vuurvergulding
- Colour: olijfbruin
- Colour: chocoladebruin
- Colour: goud
- Colour: wit-groenachtig
- Period: 18e eeuw
- availability: in_stock
- product_type: Beeld / sculptuur
Specifications
CategorySculptureConditionExcellentMaterialBronzeSeller locationDamme, GermanyDelivery optionsDelivery or pickup
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Seller information
About this seller
Private sellerDamme, GermanyOn Whoppah since February 2025 • 3 sales