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Head of a Lama Tibet 15th c. Bronze, copper alloy, cast in the lost wax method, silver and copper inlay, traces of cold gilding height 29 cm |
A lama is a Buddhist priest: the title is restricted to the head of a monastery, and strictly speaking is applicable only to abbots and the highest monks. Portraiture of esteemed teachers had a special place in the Tibetan sculptural tradition. This life-size portrait of a lama, which was originally part of a complete sculpture, was probably created for a Buddhist sanctuary in Central Tibet. The head has an air of authority that one expects from images of one of the most important inspirational figures in Tibet. Possibly this is a portrait of Tsongkapa (1357-1419), the founder of the Geluk Order, who was revered as an energetic renewer of the Buddha’s teachings. He is usually portrayed with his hair arranged in much the same way, without beard or moustache, with a rounded rather than an angular face, stern but gently smiling, and, above all, with an expression of authority. He is represented both with and without the tall yellow cap [1]. The lama’s hair, cut close to the head, frames the remarkable face, its expression intensified by the furrows engraved on the brow. The ears are elongated (a sign of nobility), the mouth is gently smiling, and the eyes are open and engraved with circular pupils. Part of the lama’s robe is visible just below the neck. The stylistic characteristics of this portrait are typical of a work originating in Central Tibet in the fifteenth century [2]. The finely cast copper alloy with silver inlaid eyes and copper lips, as well as the cold gilding, are all typical features. This powerful portrait has a focused and striking volume that contrasts with the finely delineated lines of the facial features. The lama is portrayed here as a supreme teacher, revealing a strong individuality and expressing spiritual conviction of the highest level; a bronze portrait of an enlightened being which is among the very rare life-size examples known. [1] Compare the face in a painting in the Rubin Museum which shows him wearing the cap; see D. Dinwiddie (ed.), Portraits of the Masters, Bronze sculptures of the Tibetan Buddhist Lineage, Chicago and London, 2003, p. 40, fig. 21. [2] D.Weldon and J. Casey Singer; The Sculptural Heritage of Tibet, Buddhist Art in the Nyingjei Lam Collection; Catalogue of the exhibition at the Asholean Museum, Oxford, 1999, p.170-pl. 39 and p.174, pl. 41. |