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Lot Essay
This exquisite portrait of a Tibetan teacher reflects the centuries-old tradition of creating Buddhist effigies of revered historical figures.Seated in vajrasana with hands in dharmachakramudra, this powerful, heavily gilded yet finely crafted portrait exemplifies the hallmarks of the Densatil style.
Densatil, a Kagyu monastic complex southeast of Lhasa, was founded in the late 12th century and flourished during an expansion from around 1360 to the early 16th century. Renowned for its opulent decoration, the monastery housed eight remarkable inlaid gilt copper stupas known as tashi gomang, or "many doors of auspiciousness." These multi-tiered structures, adorned with gilt-bronze deities, symbolized Buddha's first teaching in Benares.
This present piece was likely created for the tashi gomang stupas of Densatil, distinguishable by its dense metalwork and substantial gilding, reflecting the abundant resources of the early Kagyu orders in Central Tibet. The same technical characteristics appear in this figure and in a comparable Densatil gilt-copper alloy sculpture of the Sixth Abbot of Drigung Monastery, Tokkhawa Rinchen Sengee, dated to the 14th century and measuring 23 cm in height, which was offered at Bonhams Hong Kong on 5 October 2020, lot 7.
Densatil, a Kagyu monastic complex southeast of Lhasa, was founded in the late 12th century and flourished during an expansion from around 1360 to the early 16th century. Renowned for its opulent decoration, the monastery housed eight remarkable inlaid gilt copper stupas known as tashi gomang, or "many doors of auspiciousness." These multi-tiered structures, adorned with gilt-bronze deities, symbolized Buddha's first teaching in Benares.
This present piece was likely created for the tashi gomang stupas of Densatil, distinguishable by its dense metalwork and substantial gilding, reflecting the abundant resources of the early Kagyu orders in Central Tibet. The same technical characteristics appear in this figure and in a comparable Densatil gilt-copper alloy sculpture of the Sixth Abbot of Drigung Monastery, Tokkhawa Rinchen Sengee, dated to the 14th century and measuring 23 cm in height, which was offered at Bonhams Hong Kong on 5 October 2020, lot 7.