A BRASS FIGURE OF A YOGI
TIBET, 16TH CENTURY Himalayan Art Resources item no.16883 11.2 cm (4 3/8 in.) high
注脚
瑜伽士銅像西藏 十六世紀This sweet figure of a Tibetan yogi survives with the rubbed details and lustrous patina of a cherished personal icon. Distinguishing its quality is the treatment of the yogi's meditation belt slung around his right shoulder with refined beaded patterns, as if made of braided fabric. The sutra in his left hand is also finely detailed, showing a stack of manuscript pages between two covers. The yogi's mustache and ruffled hair are further examples of the bronze's superior craftsmanship. Seated on an antelope skin and wearing a loose-fitting robe and meditation belt, the yogi's appearance bares close resemblance to that of Milarepa (c.1028-1111), Tibet's most famous and beloved hermit (cf. Bonhams, New York, 14 March 2017, lot 3220). However, among Milarepa's various iconographic forms, he is not known to hold a sutra. Therefore, the present figure is likely another anchorite following in Milarepa's tradition. Compare the textile patterns and antelope skin to a closely related example of Tsangnyon Heruka (1452-1507), the famous biographer of Milarepa, sold at Bonhams, Hong Kong, 2 October 2018, lot 58. Provenance Private Collection, Bloomington, Indiana, acquired in February 1989