A silver-inlaid gilt-bronze figure of King Kunzang Nyida Drakpa, Tibet, 16th century

Acquired in Hong Kong, 27th October 2011.

Buddha: 2000 Years of Buddhist Art, Völklinger Hütte, Völklingen, 2016, cat. no. 182.

Meinrad Maria Grewenig & Eberhard Rist (eds), Buddha: 2000 years of Buddhist Art, 232 Masterpieces, Völklingen, 2016, pl. 182.

The present sculpture is identified by an inscription at the lower rim of the double-lotus base which reads: rkun bzang nyi zla grags pa la na mo/ རྐུན་བཟང་ཉི་ཟླ་གྲགས་པ་ལ་ན་མོ།. In English this means, 'Homage to Kunzang Nyida Drak.' King Kunzang Nyida Drakpa was a prominent figure in 16th-century Tibetan history, associated with the kingdom of Mangyul Gunthang where he took the throne in 1529. The Tibetan region of Gungthang, situated north of Kathmandu, contained the ancient trade route connecting Kathmandu to Lhasa, known as the Kuti Pass. 

This fine representation of Kunzang Nyida Drakpa depicts him as a Tantric master or mahasiddha, seated upon a deer skin. It follows that Kunzang Nyida Drakpa notably supported a specific version of Milarepa's biography by Tsangnyon Heruka (1452–1507), which was compiled by Heruka's disciples at the Luminous Cave–a cave where Milarepa meditated and taught his disciples. This portrait is extremely rare and no museum or market comparables can be cited.