Page 23 - Sotheby's October 3 2017 Tantra Buddhost Art

figures are identified as such primarily by their short-cropped
hair, an upper and lower robe leaving their right arm bare and
a lack of any type of jewelry. Only one of the monastic figures,
Choje Sengge Gyaltsen (lot 3110), is identified by inscription
or iconography. In this case there is both an identifiable figure
emblazoned across the chest along with a name inscription in-
cised along the back of the base allowing for a clear identifica-
tion. The other two monastic figures have no special or unique
characteristics to inform of their identity. Although the figure
seated on a throne seat (lot 3107) most likely belongs to the
Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism based on comparisons
(with other inscribed identifiable figures, along with the style of
robes he is wearing. The gilt monastic figure (lot 3112) is much
harder to identify and to place within a region or tradition.
However, he does not appear to be Nyingma or Kagyu which by
process of elimination would place him more in the sphere of a
Sakya branch tradition, Shalu or early Gelug tradition.
The three lay figures are all identifiable by iconography or
inscription: Padampa Sanggye (lot 3118), Sharka Rechen (lot
3105) and Lhatsun Kunga Chokyi Gyatso (lot 3121). They all
have hair of varying lengths, or in the case of Padmapa, an
Indian teacher, he has a beard and dreadlocks flowing down the
back. He wears only a short cloth around the waste with the up-
per body bare. This is characteristic of a yogi. Sharka Rechen
has earrings, a necklace and bracelets along with the lay attire
of a householder. Lhatsun wears conch earrings popular with
yogis and tantrikas, a meditation belt across his chest and
holds an upright vajra scepter in the left hand. This attire,
similar to Padampa, distinguishes him as a yogi. The third type
of person, siddha appearance, is not represented in this group
of sculpture. Siddhas generally have a slightly angry expression
with furrowed brows and chest hair imitating the look of Indian
tantric practitioners. Very few Himalayan or Tibetan teachers
are depicted with the siddha appearance which is generally
reserved for Indian tantric masters belonging to the set of
Eighty-four Great Indian Mahasiddhas.
The third group from the Eleven Figurative Forms are the dei-
ties. Deities traditionally come in three types known in Sanskrit
as deva, rishi and raksha. Two more forms have been added to
make five types of deity appearance. The first is [1] Peaceful ap-
pearance (deva/devi), [2] semi-peaceful semi-wrathful (rishi),
[3] wrathful (raksha), [4] Animal Featured and finally [5] War-
rior. Lokeshvara (lot 3103) is an example of peaceful appear-
THE HEART OF TANTRA – BUDDHIST ART INCLUDING PROPERTY FROM THE NYINGJEI LAM COLLECTION 21
ance based on descriptions of the youthful gods of the Indian
pantheon according to early literature. They are understood
to be perpetually in the form of sixteen year old males and
females, in the bloom of youth. There demeanor, gaze, clothing,
jewelry and postures are all relaxed and pleasing to the eye. The
figure of Kurukulla (lot 3106) is also in a peaceful appearance.
There are many different forms of this goddess who represents
power and subjugation. In this example, she is peaceful with a
gentle expression, four arms, and seated. This seated form of
the deity is also very rare and fell out of favour with practitio-
ners over half a millennia ago.
The semi-peaceful semi-wrathful appearance is similar to
peaceful but with the eyes more open, with a frown, the mouth
partially open, with slightly elongated canine teeth, some bone
ornaments and wrathful attire. There are no examples in this
group of Nyingjei Lam sculpture.
Wrathful appearance is described as short and squat in body,
with a gaping mouth, three round bulging eyes, bared fangs,
flaming hair, adorned with all types of gruesome and wrath-
ful attire and weapons. Often the deity is standing or seated
on a corpse or Hindu deities such as Bhairava or Vinayaka.
There are four examples of wrathful appearance in this group
of sculpture: Chaturbhuja Mahakala (lot 3115) with one face
and four hands, in a seated posture, followed by two forms of
Krishna Jambhala, the black wrathful deity of wealth, standing
naked and ithyphallic. The final wrathful deity is Nila Achala, in a
standing posture with one face and two hands holding upraised
a sword in the right hand and a lasso in the left. He is adorned
with cobra snakes representing the Indian mythical serpent
known as a naga. This form of Achala bites down on his lower
lip as stipulated in the textual literature. Like the seated form
of Kurukulla, this form of Achala also fell out of favour many
centuries ago. When a particular subject falls out of favour the
art production for that figure also stops.
The next category of appearance is Animal Featured although
few in number it is well represented in Himalayan art. The
example here is Simhamukha (lot 3116), the lion-faced dakini.
The limbs and torso are those of a typical human figure but the
face and head is that of a lioness, with a gaping mouth, accom-
panied with flaming hair, wrathful ornaments and standing on
a prone figure under foot. Animal featured deities can be male
or female.