A Gilt Bronze Portrait of Phags-pa

TIBET, 15TH/16TH CENTURY

Details

A Gilt Bronze Portrait of Phags-pa
Tibet, 15th/16th Century
Seated in virasana on a lotus base, his right hand held in vitarka and his left in varada mudra, wearing robes with incised cloud patterns and a pandita's hat with long lappets falling over his shoulders, his face with a serene expression with remains of cold gilding and polychrome, "I bow to the exalted and great Dharmaraja 'Phags-pa, holder of the victory banner of wise teachings, supreme protector of all beings! inscribed on the reverse around the base, the base sealed and gilt
5 in. (12.7 cm.) high

Literature

Spink, Perfect Worlds, Buddhist Art from the Himalayas, 1999, cat. no. 26.

Lot Essay

'Phags-pa (1235-80) was one of the great hierarchs of the Sakya order. He instructed Qublai Khan and his wife Chabi in the tenets of Tibetan Buddhism. 'Phags-pa was made State Preceptor (guoshi) of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty in 1260 and Imperial Preceptor (dishi) in 1270. In addition to writing a variety of treatises on Tibetan Buddhism, he devised a universal script for the polyglot Mongol domains, known later as the 'Phags-pa script.

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