Page 18 - Bonhams May 11th 2017 London Fine Chinese Art

Begtse Chen, also known as Chamsing, is one of the eight famous
Dharmapala (Dharma protector) in Tantric Buddhism.

The origin of Begtse Chen can be traced to a pre-Buddhist deity in
16th century Mongolia. Begtse Chen reputedly battled Sonam Gyatso,
the Third Dalai Lama, who was travelling en route to Mongolia in 1575.
Begtse Chen was defeated and he converted to Buddhism in
a dramatic move, marking the advent of Buddhism in Mongolia.

The dissemination of Buddhism in the region was further facilitated
by a pivotal episode in history. In 1577, Sonam Gyatso, leader of
the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism, formed an alliance with
Altan Khan, ruler of the Tümed Mongols, which resulted in the active
promotion of Buddhism in Mongolia. Following the proselytisation
of Altan Khan to Buddhism and the Gelug School, temples and
monasteries were commissioned and built. In the process, Begtse
Chen, a deity of alien origin, was incorporated into the pantheon
of Tibetan Buddhism as a protector of the Dharma, with its cult
subsequently disseminated and popularised to a wider diaspora.
The rise of Begtse Chen and his cult in Tibetan Buddhism are therefore
evidence of the gradual localisation of the religion in Mongolia since
late 16th century, as well as testifying to the vigorous integration
of Tibet and Mongolia in both political and cultural dimensions of
the contemporary period. The phenomenon spread much more
widely when Qing China (ruled by the Manchurians) adopted Tibetan
Buddhism and increasingly exerted its political influence in Tibet
throughout the 18th century.

The present lot is exceptionally rare in many respects. The naturalistic
modelling of the swaying body; its casually raised and bent right arm,
held in vitarka mudra representing the transmission of the teachings by
the Buddha, has subtly emphasised the benevolence of the Buddhist
faith with its gracious body gesture. In contrast, the dramatically
sculpted facial features: the bulging eyes, precisely cast fang teeth
and rolled tongue under fiery hair, with its robust chainmail breastplate
and skull tiara, have successfully portrayed a powerful and threatening
imagery of the deity in its wrathful incarnation. Together, the exquisite
quality of modelling and casting, as described above, testifies to
the fine craftsmanship of 18th century Tibet; whilst the passive
iconographies displayed by the present lot serve as a statement of
its faithful devotion to defending the orthodoxy of Buddhist faith.

For a comparable but smaller gilt-bronze figure of Begtse, Qianlong,
made by the Imperial workshop in Beijing, see Classics of the
Forbidden City: Tibetan Buddhist Sculptures, Beijing, 2011,
pp.273-274, no.171.

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