A SMALL TIBETAN SILVER FIGURE OF WHITE TARA

15TH/16TH CENTURY

Depicted seated in dhyanasana holding her right hand down in varada mudra and her left hand up in kartari mudra, with blossoming lotus flowers flanking her shoulders, her garments finely incised with scrolls, with gold cold painting to the figure's face and torso, her body jewellery inset with turquoise-coloured beads, the figure raised on a gilt-copper double lotus throne, incised with a visvavajra to the base, 10.7cm, 453g.

Silver was seldom used in Tibetan sculpture, as it was a rare and expensive metal considered to be extremely precious. It was usually used sparingly as inlaid decoration and cast silver figures are believed to have been made only as highly important commissions.

Cf. D Weldon & J C Singer, The Sculptural Heritage of Tibet: Buddhist Art in the Nyingjei Lam Collection, pp.180-181, pls.44 and 44A for two comparable 15th/16th century silver figures decorated with gold pigment and raised on gilt-copper lotus bases, and see pp.178-179, pl.43 for a related parcel-gilt silver figure of Milarepa on a gilt-copper base; see also The Rubin Museum of Art, New York, object no.C2005.16.36 for a similarly decorated silver sculpture of Padmasambhava; see also Christie's New York, 20th March 2008, lot 418 for another silver figure raised on a gilt-bronze lotus base also dated to the 15th/16th century.