94 - A FIREGILT BRONZE PADMASAMBHAVA BHUTAN 19TH CENTURY

A FIREGILT BRONZE PADMASAMBHAVA BHUTAN 19TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 16 cm Wide 13 cm Depth 10 cm Weight: 916 grams A gilded seated figure of Padmasambhava sits cross-legged on a double-lotus pedestal. The finely modelled face is framed by large ornamental earrings and an elaborate tiered headdress with curled elements rising at the sides. One hand is raised before the chest holding a small ritual implement, while the other supports a vessel in the lap. Broad folds of the robe sweep over the shoulders and gather around the crossed legs. Padmasambhava, the tantric master associated with the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet, is represented in Himalayan devotional art through a variety of regional and ritual forms. Here the carefully ordered gestures, sacred attributes and lotus support establish a contemplative presence, while the richly worked headdress and jewellery bring a more elaborate visual register to the compact composition. The bright gilding catches the raised details of the face, ornaments and lotus petals, with darker passages remaining in the recesses.