TIBET, CIRCA 16TH CENTURY

The existing iconography of the present work, specifically the hand positions and the lion throne with lotus footrest, suggest the figure represents Buddha Shakyamuni or the Future Buddha, Maitreya. The lotus blossoms at his shoulders, however, make an identification of the latter more likely, as they would have likely supported a stupa and water vessel, as in lot ####. He is seated in a posture known as bhadrasana (auspicious posture) or pralambapadasana (extended legs posture), which is found in Indian art as early as the Kushan period. In Himalayan art, the pose is usually reserved for images of Buddha or Maitreya preaching in their respective heavens. In the major monasteries of Tibet, such as Tashilhunpo or the Jo-khang at Lhasa, the largest and most central image is of Maitreya in bodhisattva form, seated on a lion throne with a lotus foot rest and his hands in dharmachakramudra. While the present work is unusual in that Maitreya is in his Buddha form, there is nonetheless a close affinity with these large monumental images.