Auction recap / Bonhams
Bonhams Images of Devotion Auction Realizes HK$23,384,600
The specialized sale of sacred Himalayan, Indian, and Nepalese art concluded with a 61.8% sell-through rate led by imperial Ming dynasty and Tibetan masterpieces.
Auction highlights
EstimateHKD 2.5–3.5MSoldHKD 4,614,000
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF A DAKINI TASHI LHUNPO, CENTRAL TIBET, 17TH CENTURY
EstimateHKD 3.5–4.5MSoldHKD 3,846,000
A BLACKSTONE STELE OF VISHNU NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, 12TH CENTURY
EstimateHKD 1.5–2.5MSoldHKD 1,926,000
A LARGE GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF CHINTAMANI LOKESHVARA NEPAL, 19TH CENTURY
EstimateHKD 1–1.5MSold—
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRI TIBET OR NEPAL, 12TH CENTURY
EstimateHKD 1.3–1.6MSoldHKD 1,350,000
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VIRUDHAKA TIBET, 16TH CENTURY
EstimateHKD 0.8–1.2MSold—
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VIRUPAKSHA TIBET, 16TH CENTURY
EstimateHKD 0.8–1.2MSold—
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA NEPAL, TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, CIRCA 10TH CENTURY
EstimateHKD 0.8–1.2MSoldHKD 1,030,000
A SILVER AND COPPER INLAID COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VAJRASANA BUDDHA TIBET, 13TH CENTURY
EstimateHKD 700–900KSold—
A GILT COPPER ALLOY REPOUSSE FIGURE OF PADMASAMBHAVA TIBET OR BHUTAN, 18TH CENTURY
EstimateHKD 300–500KSoldHKD 850,800
A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRI TIBET, CIRCA 11TH CENTURY
EstimateHKD 600–800KSold—
A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI BURMA (MYANMAR), ARAKAN, 15TH CENTURY
EstimateHKD 250–350KSoldHKD 774,000
Estimate track marks the pre-sale range; the tick marks the sold price. Lot photography: Courtesy Bonhams.
Contextual data provided by Pricing Culture Analytics; this is not an exhaustive list. Pricing Culture Analytics organizes publicly available auction data to analyze and produce insights.
In a sale that closed on 29 October 2026, Bonhams presented its Images of Devotion auction, which realized a total of HK$23,384,600[1] [1]. The auction saw 42 of 68 lots sold, representing a sell-through rate of 61.8%[1] [1]. Bonhams publishes the official result page for Images of Devotion, confirming these final figures [2]. The auction brought together a diverse array of sacred sculptures, paintings, and ritual objects representing centuries of artistic and spiritual traditions across Tibet, Nepal, India, and China.
Among the most prominent works offered was a beautifully cast figure of Green Tara from the Ming dynasty, featuring a Yongle six-character mark. Green Tara is revered as the Mother of the Victorious Ones and is often regarded as the Mother of All Buddhas [3]. This figure exemplifies the pinnacle of Chinese Buddhist art, produced in the imperial workshops of the Ming dynasty [3]. The Ming court actively cultivated relations with Tibet and supported a range of Tibetan Buddhist traditions, replacing the predominantly Sakya-centred patronage of the Yuan dynasty with a broader policy of engagement with different religious lineages [3]. This historical context highlights the diplomatic and spiritual exchanges that shaped the production of such high-quality gilt copper alloy sculptures.
Another significant highlight was a gilt copper alloy figure of a Dakini from the Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Central Tibet. This goddess belongs to the mandala of Chakrasamvara, which translates to the Wheel of Supreme Bliss, representing the transcendent bliss that accomplished practitioners attain through the Chakrasamvara Tantra [4]. Conceived as an athletic figure, she is considered one of the most accomplished sculptures to survive from the sculptural mandalas commissioned for the Tashi Lhunpo monastery at its height [4].
From northeastern India, a blackstone stele of Vishnu from the Pala period was also featured in the sale. Vishnu is one of the principal deities of Hinduism, identified by his rigid frontal stance, mitred headdress, and distinctive attributes [5]. As the Preserver within the Hindu trinity alongside Brahma and Shiva, his commanding posture underscores his role in maintaining the balance and order of the universe [5]. Whenever this cosmic order is threatened by negative forces, he descends to earth in one of his various forms, or avatars, to restore harmony and protect humanity [5]. In this specific stele, Vishnu is surrounded by hovering celestial beings and flanked by Lakshmi [5].
Nepalese artistic traditions were represented by a large gilt copper alloy figure of Chintamani Lokeshvara. With ankles crossed and a finely delineated sash loosely knotted at the waist, Chintamani Lokeshvara stands gracefully beneath a lavish wish-fulfilling tree[5], or kalpavriksha, whose foliage is elegantly stylised to form a mandorla around him [6]. A form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the deity takes his epithet from the chintamani, the wish-fulfilling gem [6]. One hand rises as if to pluck fruit from the branches above, while the other gently extends it toward the viewer, representing an iconic image of Nepalese art [6].
Auction highlights
Sale file- A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF GREEN TARA MING DYNASTY, YONGLE SIX-CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1403-24) | estimate HK$2,500,000[2] [7] to HK$3,500,000[2] [8] | sold for HK$4,614,000[2] [9]
- A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF A DAKINI TASHI LHUNPO, CENTRAL TIBET, 17TH CENTURY | estimate HK$3,500,000[3] [10] to HK$4,500,000[3] [11] | sold for HK$3,846,000[3] [12]
- A BLACKSTONE STELE OF VISHNU NORTHEASTERN INDIA, PALA PERIOD, 12TH CENTURY | estimate HK$1,500,000[4] [13] to HK$2,500,000[4] [14] | sold for HK$1,926,000[4] [15]
- A LARGE GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF CHINTAMANI LOKESHVARA NEPAL, 19TH CENTURY | estimate HK$1,000,000[5] [16] to HK$1,500,000[5] [17]
- A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF MANJUSHRI TIBET OR NEPAL, 12TH CENTURY | estimate HK$1,300,000[6] [18] to HK$1,600,000[6] [19] | sold for HK$1,350,000[6] [20]
- A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VIRUDHAKA TIBET, 16TH CENTURY | estimate HK$800,000[9][8][7] [21] to HK$1,200,000[9][8][7] [22]
- A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF VIRUPAKSHA TIBET, 16TH CENTURY | estimate HK$800,000 [23] to HK$1,200,000 [24]
- A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA NEPAL, TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, CIRCA 10TH CENTURY | estimate HK$800,000 [25] to HK$1,200,000 [26] | sold for HK$1,030,000[9] [27]
The results of this sale demonstrate the continued interest in well-documented Buddhist, Hindu, and Himalayan art. Collectors focused on pieces with notable provenance, imperial associations, or exceptional stylistic execution, such as the Yongle-marked Green Tara and the Tashi Lhunpo Dakini.
Sources
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Bonhams
Images of Devotion - 02
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