23 - SINO-TIBETAN, 20th century

SINO-TIBETAN, 20th century Bronze figure depicting Padmasambhava seated on a lotus-shaped base, holding a vajra in one hand and an alms bowl in the other. A double vajra is incised beneath the base. (traces of oxidation) Height: 15 cm Note: Padmasambhava, whose Sanskrit name means “Born of the Lotus,” is one of the most revered figures in Tibetan Buddhism. Known as Guru Rinpoche, he is said to have played a decisive role in the establishment of Tantric Buddhism in Tibet in the 8th century, during the reign of King Trisong Detsen. Tradition credits him, alongside Shantarakshita, with founding the Samye Monastery, considered the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet. Highly revered by the Nyingma school, Padmasambhava is traditionally depicted holding a vajra—a symbol of the indestructible power of Enlightenment—and a skull cup (*kapala*), a ritual attribute of Vajrayana Buddhism.