Phagpa

CHINA; Yuan dynasty

Phagpa, or Drogon Chogyal Phagpa, was the Fifth Patriarch of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism and a National Master of China during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). He was given the title “Great Precious Dharma King” and was reverently known as “Phagpa,” which means “Sage.”
The youthful Phagpa sits in lotus position on a lotus throne and turns his head to one side. He has a squared face with a serious appearance. Phagpa is dressed in red monastic robe decorated with gold circular floral patterns. He holds an alms bowl in his left hand, and his right hand holds up a small flower in front of his chest. He is surrounded by numerous tiny images of eminent monks with mandorlas.
The central figure covers more than two-third of the painting, which is typical of the early thangkas made by Sakya school artists. The influence of both the Indian Pala Empire (8th–12th century) and Nepalese styles can be seen in the image. The Sakya school is sometimes known as the Red Hat school; thus Sakya artworks tend to use red as their primary color due to its symbolic associations.