TIBET, 18TH CENTURY

This large, fierce, and finely-detailed bronze depicts Padmasambhava, the storied Tantric mystic credited with establishing Buddhism in Tibet. In the present lot, Padmasambhava sits in lalitasana, the pose of royal ease, exuding importance and authority. He holds a vajra, a stylized thunderbolt. His ornate robes are resplendent with floral motifs, indicating the level of technical expertise required to produce this devotional object. He also has multiple items associated with exorcism, including a khatvanga, or magic staff, and the raven feather-topped crown.
Padmasambhava is often depicted with these items because of his role in vanquishing the demons that threatened the building of a Buddhist monastery. In 747, King Tri-srong-destan invited Padmasambhava to Tibet from Uddiyana, a region in present-day Pakistan. Padmasambhava reportedly exorcised the demons threatening the building of the monastery at Samye, one of the first major Buddhist monasteries in Tibet. The mystic also mediated local conflict between indigenous religion and Buddhism by incorporating local gods into the Buddhist pantheon as protector deities, helping to popularize Buddhism in Tibet. He is also known for translating numerous Indian texts into Tibetan, and for leaving behind secret writings for his followers to uncover. Padmasambhava is closely associated with the Nyingma sect, one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist sects who trace their lineage to the Samye monastery. They honor Padmasambhava as “The Second Buddha,” as one of the foundational figures of the Buddhist faith.
The work is inscribed:
om ah hum vajra guru padma siddhi hum [guru mantra]
Homage to the the Glorious Subjugator of all that Appears and Exists!
The old and learned one was made by Mana Shakya.