Tibetan figure of Akshobhyavajra Guhyasamaja

Bidding commences on 4 October through Bonhams in Paris

The second sale of The Claude de Marteau Collection, which features 56 lots collected by the late dealer – an eminent authority on Tibetan, Nepalese, Indian and Southeast Asian art – will be led by this gilt copper alloy figure of Akshobhyavajra Guhyasamaja. This complex sculpture of the Buddhist deity dates back to the 15th or 16th century, and is viewed as one of the largest gilded sculptures from Tibet’s golden cultural age to remain in private hands. Considered the most important example of the deity to have appeared on the market in recent decades, it is estimated to fetch around HK$25 million at auction.