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Lot Essay
Seated in a dynamic yogic posture with knees raised and legs crossed at the ankles, the alert mahasiddha performs his distinctive double-handed vitarka mudra, a gesture of teaching and discussion. His long, matted locks are elegantly fanned across his back, meticulously arranged to suggest both spiritual intensity and aesthetic refinement. A voluminous meditation cloak cascades in heavy folds over his legs, leaving the feet deliberately exposed, an expressive detail that grounds the figure in physical presence and discipline.
What immediately captures the viewer is the piercing intensity of his gaze, conveying profound awareness and focused inner vision. This potent expression, along with the unique posture, sets this sculpture apart from more common representations.
Padampa Sangye, the likely subject, was a 12th-century Indian mahasiddha from southern India, trained in the renowned Pala monastic tradition. He is revered for his non-verbal methods of instruction, often teaching through gesture rather than speech, and for his progressive support of female practitioners. His influence in Tibet during the later diffusion (phyi dar) of Buddhism was substantial, and he is frequently depicted in art from this period.
While he is often shown seated with the soles of his feet planted on the ground and knees drawn to the chest, such as the example in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.70.1.5), the posture of the present figure is notably rarer. A close parallel can be found in a bronze example (HAR item no. 49424), suggesting a distinct iconographic tradition associated with particular depictions of Padampa.
For a comparative treatment of expressive gaze, one might look to the eyes of a dancing dakini formerly in the Goldman Collection (Sotheby’s New York, 2002), which exhibit a similarly riveting presence.
For further context on early representations of Padampa Sangye, see the discussion by Jeff Watt (lot 2008).
What immediately captures the viewer is the piercing intensity of his gaze, conveying profound awareness and focused inner vision. This potent expression, along with the unique posture, sets this sculpture apart from more common representations.
Padampa Sangye, the likely subject, was a 12th-century Indian mahasiddha from southern India, trained in the renowned Pala monastic tradition. He is revered for his non-verbal methods of instruction, often teaching through gesture rather than speech, and for his progressive support of female practitioners. His influence in Tibet during the later diffusion (phyi dar) of Buddhism was substantial, and he is frequently depicted in art from this period.
While he is often shown seated with the soles of his feet planted on the ground and knees drawn to the chest, such as the example in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.70.1.5), the posture of the present figure is notably rarer. A close parallel can be found in a bronze example (HAR item no. 49424), suggesting a distinct iconographic tradition associated with particular depictions of Padampa.
For a comparative treatment of expressive gaze, one might look to the eyes of a dancing dakini formerly in the Goldman Collection (Sotheby’s New York, 2002), which exhibit a similarly riveting presence.
For further context on early representations of Padampa Sangye, see the discussion by Jeff Watt (lot 2008).