16
A GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF TSONGKHAPA, Tibet, 18th century
h. 18 cm
Egregiously cast, it depicts the lama Tsongkhapa seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus flower base with his hands raised in dharmachakramudra, the gesture of teaching. On his head he wears a pandita hat, erudite Buddhist master of the five sciences, while his body is wrapped in finely chiselled robes.
Catalogue notes:
The lama Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) is considered the founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Gelugpa school ruled Tibet until the mid-20th century. According to tradition, Tsongkhapa was an emanation of the Bodhisattva Manjushri.
清 十八世纪 鎏金宗喀巴