An excellent Tibetan brass alloy figure of Vajradhara. Probably Tsang. 15th century
Seated on a double lotus throne in padmasana, he holds his hands crossed in front of his chest in vajrahumkara mudra, holding vajra and ghanta. He wears a long dhoti and a veil draped over his shoulders, with its ends falling down to the seat. His body is adorned with fine jewellery, and his ears with heavy earrings. On his head rests a five-pronged crown with long ribbons. His hair is styled in a chignon, topped with a vajra, with two large locks falling onto his shoulders. Baseplate with a double vajra.
Height 23 cm
The figure bears a striking resemblance to the well-known Yongle bronzes. This is evident not only in the style of the lotus throne, with its slim, tightly arranged petals, but also in the details of the figurine itself. The styling of the hair locks and chignon, the modelling of the lotus flowers, and the folds of the robes and shawl further reinforce this connection. For comparison see bronzes in the Berti Aschmann Collection in the Museum Rietberg in Zurich, published in the catalogue by H. Uhlig, Zurich 1995, no. 42, 52 and 67.
The Ming Emperor Yongle (1360–1424) sought to strengthen diplomatic and religious relations between China and Tibet. During his reign, numerous bronze statues, crafted in the imperial workshops by the best craftsmen, were gifted to the powerful monasteries in Tsang.
西藏 十五/十六世纪
精美铜金剛總持坐像
来源：德国黑森州私人收藏
該造像與著名的永樂時期(1403-1424 年)銅像在風格上極爲相似。這不僅體現於蓮花寶座上細長且排列緊密的花瓣上，也體現在人物本身的細節上。髮絲與髮結的設計、手持蓮花的造型以及長袍和披肩的褶皺都加強了這種聯想。可與之比較的銅像收藏於蘇黎世Museum Rietberg，源自貝蒂-阿希曼 (Berti Aschmann) 的收藏，收錄於1995 年出版於蘇黎世，由H. Uhlig編著的目錄，編號 42、52 和 67。
Provenance
Private collection, Hesse, according to consigner aquired at auction house Peretz, Saarbrücken, 1973
Literature
Cf. Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, New York, no. C2005.37.1; a Yongle bronze from the Berti Aschmann collection, published in: H. Uhlig, Auf dem Pfad zur Erleuchtung, Zurich 1995, p. 106, no. 59