TIBET, 15TH-16TH CENTURY

The present figure depicts Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, sitting in meditation posture on a double-lotus base with his hands held before him in dharmachakra mudra , signifying the teaching of the dharma. A pair of lotus buds flank his shoulders, the right holds a book, representing the attainment of transcendental wisdom and the left one supporting a sword, symbolizing the power of wisdom to cut through ignorance and illusion. The present work aligns closely with the corpus of images associated with the atelier of the fifteenth-century artisan and bronze caster, Sonam Gyaltsen, who was active in Shigatse in South-Central Tibet circa 1430. Several distinct stylistic traits have since been affiliated with characteristics found in a large body of works attributed to the style of the Sonam Gyaltsen atelier. The distinguishable features found in the present work include the distinct shape of the lotus petals of the base, the thick and luminous gilding, and lavish use of turquoise inlays. Some works from this ever-expanding milieu appear clearly to be by the hand of the master, while others are clearly derivative, yet nearly as exquisite. For further discussion on the Sonam Gyaltsen Atelier, see lot 522 in the present sale.