TIBET, CIRCA XVIEME SIECLE

The Tibetan mahasiddha Thang.stong.rgyal.po (ca. 1385 – 1464), apart from being a Buddhist master, was known as an engineer. It is said that he constructed fifty-eight iron chain bridges and a hundred and eight ferry crossing stations in central and southern Tibet as well as in Bhutan. He is shown here as an elderly, naked yogi with long flowing white hair and a beard. It is mentionned traditionally that his body colour was dark brown. This appearance may have influenced the choice of the metal for this image. D. Weldon and J. Casey Singer in The Sculptural Heritage of Tibet: Buddhist Art in the Nyingjei Lam Collection, Laurence King Publishing, London 1999, plate 46, published a comparable bronze example.