Country Group: The Himalayas (Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia and Other)

Item id: 6626

Great Mongolian folk Miniature, with different colored gilding (silver and gold)- excavated from a ruined temple site, reportedly in the 1980's with a metal detector. Mongolia had over 2 000 temples destrpyed in a single day when the Soviets invaded in the late 1920's. . At first I thought this was a fake, but upon inspection I have come to believe that this (and the 2 other related pieces I purchased which were excavated from the same site 6624 and 6626). In classic Mongolian style, the metals are unusual, the casting is provincial. Loss of an arm. Sits only 1-7/8 inches tall. Purchased over 20 years ago when Mongolia was opening to the west. Quite rare- these 3 are the only 3 authentic old 3 metal pieces like them I have come across.