Tibetan Standing Figure of Mahakala with Vajra Attribute

One foot stamps, one arm swings high, and the crown of skulls stays perfectly level.

This standing figure of Mahakala with vajra attribute comes from Tibet and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. It is gilded copper. In Tibetan Buddhism, Mahakala is a principal protector deity, generally shown in a wrathful form to overcome obstacles to enlightenment. The figure strides to one side on an oval base, a raised hand holding a vajra aloft. He wears a crown of small skulls before a flaming halo, with bulging eyes and bared teeth. Beaded ornaments and flowing scarves wrap the stocky body. A lotus plinth supports it all. It is 9.5 inches wide and 13 high.

Fierce by design, and gleaming with it.