Draphupa gilt copper Tibet

The finely cast and gilded portrait bronze depicting Chöje Draphupa Sonam Pel wearing a flowing robe over the long skirt, shemdap, a sleeveless jacket, dhonka, his hands in the teaching position, dharmachakra mudra, and seated in vajraparyankasana on a double lotus pedestal inscribed on its upper surface.

Inscription:

chos rje brag phug pa bsod nams dpal la na mo:

homage to chos rje brag phug pa bsod nams dpal

The inscription on the upper surface of the lotus pedestal identifies the lama as Chöje Draphupa Sonam Pel (1277-1346), a master of the Samvara Guru Lineage of the Sakya tradition; the Samvara tantra is one of the most important texts in Sakya meditation practise. He was the principal disciple of Tsokgom Kunga Pel (1210-1307), who in turn was the student of Kunga Gyaltsen (1182-1251), known as Sakya Pandita, one of the most influential leaders of the Sakya order. He received instruction in the Lamdre - the important Sakya practise ('path and result') concerning the Hevajra tantra - from Zhang Könchog Pel, the lama depicted in the pair to the present statue, Lot 304, and passed the teaching on to Dampa Sonam Gyaltsen (1312-1375) the fifteenth Throne Holder of Sakya monastery from 1344-1375.

As with the pair to this portrait, lot 304, the bronze is made in the post Yongle style with a tall lotus pedestal with thin and elegant petals between strings of large rounded pearls. The lama's loosely draped robes fall over the torso and legs in deep folds and gathers onto the pedestals in the Yongle manner. Furthermore, a wide fold of cloth falls from the left shoulder in a sheer plane just as seen in Yongle sculpture such as the Speelman Yongle Buddha, see Visions of Enlightenment, The Speelman collects ion of Important Early Ming Buddhist Bronzes, Replica Shoes 's, Hong Kong, October 7, 2006, lot 808. As with the vast majority of Yongle works the sculpture is richly gilded. The engraved textile patterns of the lama's sleeveless jacket depict the designs of the Chinese brocades from which these patchwork jackets are traditionally made. The engraving technique is not found in the Yongle oeuvre but is a popular decorative device in Tibetan fifteenth century bronzes, cf. a finely worked fifteenth century portrait bronze of the Tibetan translator Brogmi, see Ulrich on Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, 2001, p. 1073, pl. 276C.