A RARE AND UNUSUAL PARTIAL-GILT AND GOLD-INLAID BRONZE FIGURE OF TSONGKHAPA QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

finely cast seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus plinth, the right hand held in vitarkamudra, the left hand missing, wearing a peaked hat and dressed in the typical style of a Tibetan monk, the sleeveless shirt chased and gilded with a honeycomb pattern, the shawl and skirt cast to resemble patchwork and inlaid with patterns of precious objects amidst clouds, the borders chased and gilded, flanked by stylized lotus blossoms rising to his shoulders, one bearing a flaming sword, the other a book

The flaming sword that cuts through ignorance and the book of wisdom are attributes of Manjusri, from whom Tsongkhapa is believed to emanate. The presence of these attributes in the present lot identify the figure as Tsongkhapa. In addition, although the left hand is missing, it was at chest level and both hands held in vitarkamudra would have formed the dharmachakramudra, the gesture of teaching, which is a characteristic mudra of Tsongkhapa, further lending support to the identification.  For a 15th / 16th century example in gilt-bronze see Buddhist Art from Rehol: Tibetan Buddhist Images and Ritual Objects from the Qing Dynasty Summer Palace at Chengde, Kaohsiung, 1999, no. 21, p. 83, where Tsongkhapa is shown complete with his attributes.

Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) is a revered Tibetan religious philosopher, and a central figure of the Gelugpa sect that ruled Tibet until the middle of the 20th century. He is so important that according to Patricia Ann Berger, Empire of Emptiness: Buddhist Art and Political Authority in Qing China, Hawaii, 2003, p. 60,  he occupies the premier position at the apex of the top central medallion in five versions of paintings where Qianlong is portrayed as a lama.

The present lot is notable for the degree of individuality as evident in the depiction of his face and the decorative quality of his robes. His broad smile, elongated eyes and slender nose create a heightened sense of realism and such attention to detail suggests the importance of this piece. Moreover, although the veneration of brightly colored deities has a long tradition in Tibetan Buddhism, where sculptures were frequently painted or adorned with precious stones, the use of inlaid silver and gold for the embellishment of the robe is highly decorative and unusual.

This inlaid technique with similar decoration of precious objects amid clouds appears on the robes of a figure of Sino-Tibetan Buddha  illustrated in Susan L. Huntington and John C. Huntington, Leaves from the Bodhi Tree: the Art of Pala India (8th-12th Centuries) and its International Legacy, Seattle, 1990, cat. no. 175.