A rare and large gilt-bronze figure of a lama


17th century Wearing voluminous robes intricately incised with floral patterns, his right hand raised in vitarka mudra, his left hand resting on his lap, the face with engaged expression and steady gaze, flanked by pendulous ears. 26cm (10 1/4in) high.
|十七世紀 銅鎏金喇嘛坐像Empowered with great dignity and reverential demeanour, conveyed by the sturdy mass of his body and the elegance of his drapery folds, characterised by sleek movements and crinkled creases, the present figure may be identified as the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Losang Gyatso (b.1617). The distinctive facial figures, such as the pointed chin, the long and sharp nose and closely set walnut-shaped eyes, closely resemble the elements characterising a gilt-bronze portrait of the Fifth Dalai Lama, late 17th century, included in the collection of the Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Massachussets, illustrated by M.M.Rhie, Wisdom and Compassion. The Sacred Art of Tibet, London, 1991, pp.272-273, no.98.Ngawang Gyatso was a highly influential figure, particularly among the Geluk and Nyngma orders of Tibetan Buddhism. Following his appointment as the supreme spiritual teacher and secular ruler of Tibet at the young age of twenty-five, the lama began construction of the Potala palace in Lhasa in the iconic form as it still stands today. Resting on his lap, his left hand probably once held the Wheel of Teaching and royal rule. Compare with a similarly treated, albeit smaller and inscribed, gilt-bronze figure of the Fifth Dalai Lama,17th century, which was sold at Sotheby's, 13-14 September 2016, lot 161.