Unidentified Tibetan monastic master
  See it in the Museum
Reception desk
Orientation 3
Display 1

ABS 350

 Code: ABS 350

  Country: Tibet

  Style:

  Date: 1400 - 1500

  Dimensions in cm WxHxD: 6.4 x 7.8 x 4.8

  Materials: Silver

Portrait of a monk

This young master is seated in the diamond attitude on a lotus throne. He holds his hands in the gesture of meditative contemplation, one resting upon the other in his lap. His shaven head and triple monastic robe identify him as a fully ordained monk. The base of the statue unfortunately lacks an inscription. Even if the iconography is too typical to allow an exact identification, the decision to depict the master in this position testifies to the commissioner's wish to emphasise the qualities of the portrayed monk as a practitioner. 

From a technical point of view, the artist showed great attention to detail. This is apparent in the realistic representation of the face, the shaved hair, and the accurate representation of the clothing. The statue is made of silver, only the skin parts of the figure were gilded for added contrast.