TIBET, 15TH-16TH CENTURY

The founder of the Bon tradition is depicted here as Nampar Gyalwa or Completely Victorious, as described in chapter fifty of the Ziji, the essential biography of Tonpa Shenrab. The deity was said to have destroyed demons that had plagued the construction of a temple built by the mythical king, Kongtse Trulkyi Gyalpo; the completed temple was named the White-black Shimmering Temple and remained as a library devoted to the teachings of Tonpa Shenrab. Compare the present figure with a bronze figure of Tonpa Shenrab sold at Christie's New York, 20 March 2012, lot 103.