Tsongkhapa
Gilt bronze
Tsongkhapa
CHINA, Tibet
Tsongkhapa was the founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and later regarded as the manifestation of Manjusri Bodhisattva. He was well known as the author of the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment.
This sculpture is one of the foremost depictions of the lama, showing him with deep wrinkles about the mouth and with ears that stand out, a feature typical of Tibetan figures. Tsongkhapa’s hands clasp lotus stalks that rise to the shoulders. Supported on the lotus are a sword and a scriptural text, the iconographical attributes of Manjusri. Wearing a monastic robe over his under robe, Tsongkhapa sits in full lotus position upon a traditional lotus throne. The throne was created separately and has small depictions of crossed vajras at the base. According to the inscription, the sculpture was presented by the Minister of the Imperial Household in 1793.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture St-Z, page 1257.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Lovelock, Yann and Chou, Yuan and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture St-Z},
pages = 1257,
title = {{Tsongkhapa}},
volume = 13,
year = {2016}}