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Lot Essay
Vibrant and fiercely expressive, this finely worked gilt copper repoussé plaque depicts a snow lion, a celestial creature in Tibetan iconography and a potent national emblem. Typically installed at the base of thrones or within a torana (the “arch of glory”) framing a central deity, such plaques served as powerful apotropaic symbols, protecting sacred spaces from malign forces through their commanding presence and divine associations.
The snow lion, revered across the Himalayan cultural sphere, symbolises fearless energy, purity, and the untamed forces of nature. Here, the creature is shown in mid-roar, with a gaping mouth stretched wide, its bared fangs and curling tongue dramatising its ferocity. The piercing eyes, uplifted mane, and dynamic sweep of the tail animate the feline with a sense of kinetic energy and supernatural vitality. The body is adorned with scrolling foliate motifs that echo the rhythmic flame-like patterns found throughout Tibetan decorative arts, reinforcing the lion’s spiritual power and stylistic integration within a broader architectural program.
A closely related example in a private collection (HAR 16902), features the same combination of expressive facial modelling and stylised fur. Also compare with related examples in Xu Tianfu (ed.), Faces of Dharma, Taipei, 2012, nos. 78-82 and another in Zwalf, Tibetan Art, British Museum, 1981, vol. 2, p. 79, fig. 120, where the lion’s fierce expression and integration within an elaborate torana underscore its ritual function.
The present plaque stands out for the quality of its repoussé work, the dramatic emotional expressiveness of the snow lion, and the clarity of its iconographic and decorative language. As a ritual object once embedded in a sacred architectural setting, it offers both aesthetic beauty and a tangible connection to Tibet’s devotional and artistic traditions.
The snow lion, revered across the Himalayan cultural sphere, symbolises fearless energy, purity, and the untamed forces of nature. Here, the creature is shown in mid-roar, with a gaping mouth stretched wide, its bared fangs and curling tongue dramatising its ferocity. The piercing eyes, uplifted mane, and dynamic sweep of the tail animate the feline with a sense of kinetic energy and supernatural vitality. The body is adorned with scrolling foliate motifs that echo the rhythmic flame-like patterns found throughout Tibetan decorative arts, reinforcing the lion’s spiritual power and stylistic integration within a broader architectural program.
A closely related example in a private collection (HAR 16902), features the same combination of expressive facial modelling and stylised fur. Also compare with related examples in Xu Tianfu (ed.), Faces of Dharma, Taipei, 2012, nos. 78-82 and another in Zwalf, Tibetan Art, British Museum, 1981, vol. 2, p. 79, fig. 120, where the lion’s fierce expression and integration within an elaborate torana underscore its ritual function.
The present plaque stands out for the quality of its repoussé work, the dramatic emotional expressiveness of the snow lion, and the clarity of its iconographic and decorative language. As a ritual object once embedded in a sacred architectural setting, it offers both aesthetic beauty and a tangible connection to Tibet’s devotional and artistic traditions.