A GILT LACQUERED COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF NAMPAR GYALWA


MING DYNASTY, CIRCA 15TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.61923 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm) high
|明 約十五世紀 銅漆金南巴嘉瓦像 Identified by his unique hand gestures, the present bronze represents Nampar Gyalwa, or 'The Fully Victorious One'. He is a form of Bon's principal deity, Tonpa Shenrap, whose role in the Bon religion is similar to that of Shakyamuni in Buddhism. Recounted in the Ziji, a detailed biography of Tonpa Shenrab, he manifests as Nampar Gyalwa to defeat the temple-destroying demons. Though primarily a Tibetan religion, Bon is also followed by certain Chinese cultural groups such as the Naxi people in Yunnan, which explains why some rare Bon sculptures, such as the present example, are produced in a Chinese style. The treatment of his scarf with two fishtail ends draped over the base, his looped necklaces, the folds of his lower garment, and the scroll-tipped lotus petals closely follow conventions set by Ming imperial workshops. Other examples of Bon sculptures produced in a Chinese style include a gilt bronze Kunzang Akor at the Rubin Museum of Art (C2006.71.7), and a Kunzang Gyalwa Gyatso in the Ligmincha Institute (HAR 85584).