A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF A LAMA ON A STEPPED THRONE, TIBET, 13TH - 14TH CENTURY
Finely cast, the lama sits atop a stepped pedestal with rosettes, floral decorations, and two Buddhist lions beneath an exquisite, beaded double-lotus throne. The patchwork robes of the lama are exceptionally fine, the hems decorated with minuscule and extremely fine beadwork all over. He is seated in vajraparyankasana, his right hand extended in bhumisparsha mudra and his left held in samadhi mudra, his face set with a meditative expression and a distinct widow’s peak. The base bears the double vajra symbol.


Provenance:
From a German private collection.

Condition:
Very good condition with expected old wear and casting irregularities, minor rubbing to the gilding, occasional light scratches, and small dents. The back of the base with a rectangular aperture for a mandorla, which is lost. The base is sealed.

Weight: 1,466 g
Dimensions: Height 15.8 cm


The present bronze likely depicts an important early lama
from a period when Buddhism was flourishing and expanding in Tibet. The sculpture's combination of a lotus pedestal and a waisted plinth underneath the lama was a popular device in Central Tibet between the 13th and 15th centuries. It was particularly used by the Kagyu order and was recreated in the sculptures of the Densatil Monastery.


Literature comparison:

Compare U. von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, volume 2, page 1186, number 320A. Also compare a related bronze figure of a lama seated on a stepped pedestal, 14.3 cm high, dated to the 13th century, in Tsuglakang Temple, Lhasa, illustrated on Himalayan Art Resources, item no. 57364.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s, 11 September 2019, lot 344
Price: USD 18,750 or approx.
EUR 20,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni on a stepped throne, Tibet, 14th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling with a similar lotus base and stepped throne, albeit depicting Buddha Shakyamuni. Note the slightly smaller size (13.7 cm).




十三至十四世紀西藏銅鎏金喇嘛像

喇嘛結觸地印，以冥想姿勢坐在漸層蓮座上，下方有兩隻佛獅；身著敞右肩僧服，衣紋整齊，褶皺聚攏至腳踝，面容安詳，帶有沉思的表情，眼睛微閉，眉毛微攏，嘴唇豐滿。底座封口，封底有雙金剛杵紋。


來源：
德國私人收藏。

品相：
狀況極好，有磨損，製造缺陷、鎏金磨損和局部輕微劃痕和小凹痕。底座背面有一個用於曼陀羅的矩形孔，現已丟失。底座密封。

重量：1,466 克
尺寸：高 15.8 厘米


文獻比較：


比較一件見 U. von Schroeder，《Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet》，卷2，頁1186，編號320A。比較一件相近的十三世紀喇嘛坐像，高14.3 釐米，收藏於Tsuglakang Temple，Lhasa，見Himalayan Art Resources，館藏編號57364。


拍賣結果比較：


形制：非常相近
拍賣：佳士得，2019年9月11日，lot 344
價格：USD 18,750（相當於今日
EUR 20,000
）
描述：十四世紀西藏鎏金釋迦牟尼銅像
專家評論：比較非常相近的模型和蓮座，但主題是釋迦牟尼。請注意尺寸較小 (13.7 釐米)。