These primitive bronze figures originate mostly in the Jajarkot and Jumla districts of Nepal, a largely Hindu area south of the high Himalayas and west of Pokhara and Kathmandu. They have been produced in this area for hundreds of years, using locally available materials and the lost-wax method of casting. While we have been collecting these fascinating figures for several years this is the first time we have featured them on the Himalayan Antiques web site. Much remains to be learned about them, but it is clear that they were intimately involved with the local religious practices and the shamanism found in this region.
We have come across very little published material on the art of this region, but there is a very interesting article available on-line by
the French scholars Éric Chazot and Jean-Pierre Girolami. Toward the end of the article in a section called Funeral Bronzes is a description of several uses to which these bronze figures were put. The article can be found at the Tribal Arts web site in the article titled Art and Shamanism in the Himalayas.
If making inquiries about a specific figure, please be sure to include its inventory number. A brief description and the dimensions of each figure can be found on its enlargement page. For prices please send us an email requesting the Jajarkot Bronze price list.
