TIBET, 15TH-16TH CENTURY

The shrunken features of the present buddha’s face, bulbous ushnisha, and non-gilt finish give this bronze a markedly Tibetan appearance. Upon first glance, one may not take notice of the silver and copper inlay used to create the eyes and lips on this delightful figure of the Buddha Akshobhya as the incised details on the Ming style robe he dons draw the eye immediately. Lush lotus flowers and large Lantsa letters are incised on the back of this well-cast patchwork robe. An inscription on the front of the base, though misspelled, is meant to read “Homage to Akshobhya.” The present example bears a close resemblance to a figure of Akshobhya at the Museum der Kulturen, Basel, published on Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org) as item no. 3314710.