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A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF JANGCHUP GYALTSEN
TIBET, 16TH CENTURY
The front of the base with the Buddhist creed (ye dharma hetu...) inscribed in
Tibetan; the back with a Tibetan inscription, translated: ‘Namo! [Homage to] the
Dharma Lord Jamchopa Jangchup Gyeltsenpa!’
Himalayan Art Resources item no. 61763
25.5 cm (10 in.) high
HKD2,000,000 - 3,000,000

西藏 十六世紀 銅鎏金絳曲堅贊像

Depicting a pivotal leader in Tibetan history, this charismatic sculpture of Jangchub
Gyaltsen (1302-64) undoubtedly represents an important commission from a
master craftsman. The lama’s face is vividly rendered with naturalistic contours,
prominent cheekbones, and sunken cheeks. The wrinkles on his forehead and
meticulously delineated three-pronged beard convey his elderly countenance. The
artist and patron probably intending to portray him as an old sage to celebrate a
lifetime of political and religious achievements.

A spiritual leader with great ambition, Jangchub Gyaltsen founded the
Pakmodrupa dynasty and directed military operations against the Mongol-backed
Sakya regime in the early 1350s. He defeated the Sakya who caved under internal
strife. In 1357, Jangchub Gyaltsen was given the secular title “Tai Situ” (Great
Tutor) by the Mongol ruler, marking the official recognition of the Pakmodrupa
administration’s control over all 13 districts of Central and Western Tibet until circa
1435. As Mongol and Chinese rulers had little time for Tibetan affairs due to their
own political instability, Jangchub Gyaltsen and his successors governed Tibet
independently for more than eighty years, overseeing a period of great religious
and cultural development.

As a prominent patron of art and religious texts, Jangchub Gyaltsen is known for
commissioning large sets of thangkas and copies of the Buddhist scriptural canon
(kangyur). For example, he is portrayed as the donor at the bottom corners of a
set of 42 mandalas commemorating Lama Dampa Sonam Gyaltsen (1312-75); for
one example from the set, see HAR 77204.
Published
Rossi & Rossi, Homage to the Holy: Portraits of Tibet’s Spiritual Teachers, London,
2003, pl. 31.

Provenance
Private European Collection

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