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This teacher, with a distinctive hairstyle and seated meditation posture, extends his right hand in the gesture of touching the earth while his other hand rests on his lap. He wears the dress of a layman, a coat with wide sleeves held by a broad belt and a cape covering both shoulders. This figure has been identified as a teacher of Bon, the alternative religion of Tibet, possibly due to the unusual combination of his hand gestures and the wheel and lions on his throne.
Unidentified Teacher of the Bon Tradition
OriginTibet
Date14th century
Dimensions8 1/8 × 6 1/4 × 4 3/4 in.
MediumGilt copper alloy
Classification(s)
Credit LineRubin Museum of Art
Object numberC2005.16.35
Himalayan Art Resources Number65458
DescriptionPortraits of Tibetan teachers from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries can be distinguished from later works of this genre through the depiction of the figure’s outer garment. This cape invariably covers both shoulders and envelops the teacher’s body while allowing the arms and feet to remain visible. Such capes are used for lay religious masters, such as this teacher, and monks alike. These capes bulge around the legs and leave a gap underneath the figure’s crossed legs. In later works they tend to fall more flatly with the ends touching each other in front of the feet.This teacher, with a distinctive hairstyle and seated meditation posture, extends his right hand in the gesture of touching the earth while his other hand rests on his lap. He wears the dress of a layman, a coat with wide sleeves held by a broad belt and a cape covering both shoulders. This figure has been identified as a teacher of Bon, the alternative religion of Tibet, possibly due to the unusual combination of his hand gestures and the wheel and lions on his throne.
Not on view
ca. 16th century
15th century
13th-14th century
ca. 18th-19th century
13th century
15th century
14th century
14th or 16th - 17th century
16th century
ca. 18th-19th century
13th century