Mahakala

CHINA, Tibet

Mahakala wears a crown of skulls about a mounded usnisa and a garland of freshly severed human heads hangs to the waist. The right hand holds a flaying knife, while the skull-cup once held in the left hand is missing. The figure has a stocky build and the position of the legs beneath the metallic skirt-like garment makes it appear to be squatting.
The eyes are rounded, the nose like an eagle’s beak, fang-like canines extend from the half-opened mouth, while the nails on the fingers and toes are claw-like. Across the chest, stringed beads and ornaments hang in symmetrical arcs. Other intricate jewelry festoons the body, leaving few areas undecorated. On the back of the sculpture is a square hole, probably left from its previous use in enshrining treasures.