Page 202 - Bonhams Asian Art London November 5, 2020

197
A VERY LARGE GILT COPPER-ALLOY REPOUSSÉ FIGURE
OF A KAGYU LAMA
17th century
The naturalistic contours of his face conveying a jovial alertness,
between long pendulous ears, the slender fingers of the lama’s
right hand in the gesture associated with reasoning or teaching, his
left hand resting on his lap, seated in dhyanasana, his lean, well-
proportioned frame wrapped in diaphanous garments with floral hems.
67cm (26 3/8in) high.

£30,000 - 50,000
CNY260,000 - 440,000
十七世紀 銅鎏金錘揲噶舉喇嘛像

Published and Illustrated: O.Hoare, Portraits of the Masters:
Bronze Sculptures of the Tibetan Buddhist Lineages, Part II, private
publication, p.46, no.25.

出版著錄：O.Hoare，「Portraits of the Masters: Bronze Sculptures
of the Tibetan Buddhist Lineages」，第二部分，頁46，編號25

The Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism embraces over twenty lineages
stretching over a thousand years. Their era of greatest florescence
was in the late medieval period, when they enjoyed extensive temporal
as well as spiritual influence. Images in painting and sculpture of the
masters of these various lineages are legion, and as they were often
commissioned by or for a particular master’s disciples, or for those
for whom the master’s features would have been equally immediately
recognisable, they are often unsubscribed. The present lot can be
confidently ascribed to the Kagyu tradition on the basis of the costume
and general treatment being similar to those of other Kagyu lamas.

Life-size sculpture of any kind in Tibet is extremely rare and the
common practice was to employ the techniques of repoussé and
cast elements to construct the largest figures. Other life-size portraits
of Lamdre lineage masters are preserved in Mindroling, Tibet, see
von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, Hong Kong, 2003,
nos.238A-J. Also compare with a large scale portrait of Lama Puntsok
Sherap dated to the 17th century in the San Antonio Museum of Art
(acc.2004.7.1).

See a life-size gilt copper alloy repoussé figure of a Yogin, Tibet, circa
17th century, which was sold at Bonhams New York, 14 March 2017,
lot 3224.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
200 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.