Nepalese Standing Figure of Mahakala

He steps forward through a wall of flame with his teeth bared.

This standing figure of Mahakala is contemporary copper from the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Mahakala is a fierce protector in Himalayan Buddhism, terrifying on behalf of those he defends, and Nepal's metalworkers have made such figures for centuries. Here he stands wide-legged on two prone figures, gripping a long staff, with a third eye, a crown and hair rising like fire. Armor and cloth are chased into the dark surface, and gold tones pick out the flames and lotus petals. Twenty-nine inches high and 23 wide.

Protection is not always polite.