TIBET, 14TH CENTURY

Wearing the patchwork robes of a fully-ordained monk and a meditation cape (known as a “half moon” or zla gam in Tibetan), his right hand in the earth-touching gesture and left in the gesture of meditation atop his legs crossed in vajrasana, this lama is portrayed in a way that demonstrates his commitment to enlightenment. The masterfully-inlaid silver and copper which give distinction to the otherwise-standard monk’s robes are truly mesmerizing elements of this masterwork. Incised ever-so-carefully, the hems on both the lama’s shirt and cape bear beautiful floral designs, which are framed by a beadlike silver edge on either side. These stylistic and technical approaches are nearly identical to that of a sculpture in the Nyingjei Lam Collection (Fig. 1). The metalwork and approach to inlay in both the Nyingjei Lam and the present, more refined, example is of a discernibly Eastern-Indian origin which can be seen in Pala dynasty works of art of the 11th and 12th centuries.