Page 67 - Bonhams Himalayan, Indian Art march 2015

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A copper alloy figure of a
Gelugpa lama
Qing, Pala Revival, 18th century
On a stepped and waisted lotus pedestal
of rotund petals, his hands display
dharmachakrapavartina mudra giving forth
lotus stems from which blossom a sword and
sutra by his shoulders, his charming face with
a meditative expression surmounted by the
peaked cap of the Gelug order.
7 in. (17 3/4 cm) high
$6,000 - 8,000
Tibetan historical figures in Pala revival
sculpture of the Qing period are unusual.
While gilded examples in the pure Tibeto-
Chinese style are common, the Pala revival
style is dominated by bodhisattvas and
deities. The iconography of the sword and
sutra supported at the shoulders is most
commonly associated with Tsongkhapa, the
founder of the Gelugpa order which was
afforded great prominence at the Qing court.
For a related gilded Tsongkhapa of similar
heavy proportions, see Sotheby’s, Paris, 11
December 2014, lot 192. For a 15th-/16th-
century example in gilt bronze see Buddhist
Art from Rehol, Kaohsiung, 1999, p. 83, no.
21. Also see Sotheby’s, New York, 19 & 20
March 2013, lot 353.
Referenced
HAR – himalayanart.org/image.cfm/41228.html
Provenance
Nagel Auctions, 2008
Private New York Collection

Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art | 65