Mahakala - Protector of the Dharma

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Mahakala from Tibet wearing an elephant skin and sitting on a bird's head trampling a fisherman, holding a Vajra in his right hand and making a sign with his left hand. Mahākāla is a deity common to Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism. In Buddhism, Mahākāla is regarded as the sacred Dharmapāla ("Protector of the Dharma"), while in Hinduism, Mahākāla is a fierce manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva and the consort of the goddess Kali.  Mahakala is also a name of one of Shiva's principal attendants (Sanskrit: gaṇa), along with Nandi, Shiva's mount and so is often represented outside the main doorway of early Hindu temples. This special model is an antique and was recently auctioned at : gazette-drouot.com/en/lots/15312872-mahakala-from-tibet-wearing---