A TIBETAN GILT-BRONZE PORTRAIT OF A LAMA

C.13TH CENTURY

Cast seated in dhyanasana upon a gilded double lotus throne, his left hand rests on his lap in dhyana mudra whilst his right hand touches the ground in bhumisparsha mudra, he wears a ceremonial cloak and formal monastic robes worn by high Tibetan lamas on solemn occasions, the bronze high tiered throne decorated with lions, elephants, vajras, floral scrolls, silver and semi-precious stones, the original consecration plate incised with a visvavajra encircled by the Eight Auspicious Buddhist Emblems within an eight-petalled mandala, 13.4cm, 693g.

Provenance: formerly John Eskenazi in the early 1980s; and then a UK private collection.

This sculpture possibly depicts Sangye Yarjon (1203-1272), the third abbot of the Taklung Monastery in central Tibet.

Cf. U von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, vol.2, p.1186, pl.320A for a similar example; see also S M Kossak and J C Singer, Sacred Visions: Early Paintings from Central Tibet, pp.94-95, no.19 for a 13th century portrait of Sangye Yarjon which resembles the present figure.