Religious Figure / 9th Karmapa
50.31.59
Information
Small silver gilt statue of the 9th Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje (1556-1603). Beautifully cast figure of the Lama seated in yogic or meditation position, right hand reaches down in earth-witnessing or bhumisparsa mudra, left hand rests in his lap holding a Tibetan book or pecha. He wears a robe incised with decoration and a shawl that does not cover the right arm, revealing a bare arm. He wears the distinctive black hat of the Karmapa. He is seated on four mattresses (bo-den), which normally indicates that the sculpture was made during the lama’s lifetime. This portrait has the Karmapa’s name inscribed along the base.