Footnotes

西藏 十六世紀 銅鎏金絳曲堅贊像

Depicting a pivotal leader in Tibetan history, this charismatic sculpture of Jangchub Gyaltsen (1302-64) undoubtedly represents an important commission from a master craftsman. The lama's face is vividly rendered with naturalistic contours, prominent cheekbones, and sunken cheeks. The wrinkles on his forehead and meticulously delineated three-pronged beard convey his elderly countenance. The artist and patron probably intending to portray him as an old sage to celebrate a lifetime of political and religious achievements.

A spiritual leader with great ambition, Jangchub Gyaltsen founded the Pakmodrupa dynasty and directed military operations against the Mongol-backed Sakya regime in the early 1350s. He defeated the Sakya who caved under internal strife. In 1357, Jangchub Gyaltsen was given the secular title "Tai Situ" (Great Tutor) by the Mongol ruler, marking the official recognition of the Pakmodrupa administration's control over all 13 districts of Central and Western Tibet until circa 1435. As Mongol and Chinese rulers had little time for Tibetan affairs due to their own political instability, Jangchub Gyaltsen and his successors governed Tibet independently for more than eighty years, overseeing a period of great religious and cultural development.

As a prominent patron of art and religious texts, Jangchub Gyaltsen is known for commissioning large sets of thangkas and copies of the Buddhist scriptural canon (kangyur). For example, he is portrayed as the donor at the bottom corners of a set of 42 mandalas commemorating Lama Dampa Sonam Gyaltsen (1312-75); for one example from the set, see HAR 77204.

Published:
Rossi & Rossi, Homage to the Holy: Portraits of Tibet's Spiritual Teachers, London, 2003, pl. 31.

Provenance:
Private European Collection