A FINE AND RARE GILT BRONZE MONGOOSE HOLDING A PEACH BRANCH, Tibeto-Chinese, 18th ct., cast in crouching posture with his four feet firmly placed on the ground, his realistic-shaped head tilted up with his beak holding a blossoming peach branch decorated with three coins, protruding eyes, pricked ears, his body etched with dots suggesting his pelt, engraved with shou-characters, flowers and minute cloud-motifs all around and terminating with a long curling tail - In Buddhist mythology the mongoose or nakula is associated with Jambhala, God of material and spiritual wealth, who is usually shown holding one of these creatures on his lap, from where it proceeds to vomit forth a heavy stream of gems - Provenance: Former old Flemish private collection - Minor wear and traces of age