TIBET, 13TH-14TH CENTURY

The present bronze likely depicts an important early lama from a period when Buddhism was flourishing and expanding in Tibet. The elaborate use of precious-metal inlays suggests it was an important commission. The curved edges of the shirt the figure wears beneath his robe are telling of the period of origin, as square-edged shirts become the standard from the fourteenth century on. The quality of this casting is especially evident in the hems of his patchwork robe and shirt, and in eyes and lips, all of which are inlaid with strips of silver and incised copper. The meditation cape, with its incised foliate pattern, and the individually incised hair on the top of the head are also artfully implemented. Compare the present lot with a similarly-dated gilt-bronze figure of a lama sold at Christie's New York, 11 September 2018, lot 359 for $15,000.