Page 40 - Bonhams NYC Portraits of the Masters Bronzes march 2017

3228
A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF THE SECOND KARMAPA, KARMA PAKSHI
TIBET, 16TH CENTURY
Himalayan Art Resources item no.2264
7 1/4 in. (18.5 cm) high

US$80,000 - 120,000

西藏 十六世紀 銅鎏金二世噶玛巴噶瑪巴西像

Part of a phenomenon that would come to define Tibetan Buddhism, Karma Pakshi
was the first human being to inherit the monasteries and authority of a lama by being
recognized as its reincarnation. He was a promising student, born to a noble family in
Eastern Tibet, when he was identified as the first reincarnation of Dusum Kyenpa (1110-
93), one of Gampopa’s chief pupils and the founder of the Karma Kagyu order.

The power struggles that ensued from competing factions within the Mongol Empire, and
Tibetan orders rivaling for their patronage, dominate Karma Pakshi’s biographies. Most
have it that Karma Pakshi hedged the wrong bet, choosing Mongke Khan (r.1251-59) as
his patron instead of Kubilai (r.1260-94). When Kubilai Khan soon ascended the throne,
with his patronage already pledged to the Sakya, he accused and exiled the Karmapa for
siding with his rival.

Throughout his life, Karma Pakshi cultivated a reputation for miracles, which initially
caught the attention of the Yuan imperial family and, some biographies claim, saved him
from threats to his life. He traveled extensively throughout Mongolia and the borderlands
between Tibet and China, cultivating a large number of followers. His primary student
was Orgyenpa Rinchen Pel (1229-1309) who would go on to identify his next rebirth.

Carefully incised patterns cover almost every inch of the lama’s robes, conveying the
impression of spectacular gold-embroidered silks covering a precious being. With a
demure smile amongst the chubbiness of youth, this charming bronze depicts Karma
Pakshi as a young man, not yet weathered by the turmoil of the 13th century. Compare
with examples of him in later in life. See lot 3229, and Weldon & Casey Singer, Sculptural
Heritage of Tibet, London, 1999, pl.37. Also compare with youthful representation of the
9th Karmapa in Thurman & Rhie, A Shrine for Tibet, New York, p.116, no.II-9.

Published
Portraits of the Masters, pp.164-5, no.30.
David P. Jackson, Patron and Painter: Situ Panchen and the Revival of the Encampment
Style, New York, 2009, p.53, fig.3.27 (detail) (misattributed to the Nyingjei Lam
Collection).
Matthew Akester, Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo’s Guide to Central Tibet, Chicago, 2016,
p. 208.

Published & Exhibited
Monasterios y Lamas del Tibet, p.173, no.121.

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