A gilt bronze figure of Garwa Nagpo

TIBET, CIRCA 18TH CENTURY

Details

A gilt bronze figure of Garwa Nagpo
Tibet, circa 18th century
Seated on the back of a long-horned goat over a rocky base, holding a vajra-hammer in his raised right hand and a bellows in his left, clad in boots and heavy robes, the bearded face with bared fangs and bulging eyes surmounted by a large-brimmed cap
6¾ in. (17.1 cm.) high

Provenance

Acquired in Beijing, 12 March 1998

Literature

Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org), item no. 23401

Lot Essay

Garwa Nagpo, Damchen ("the Blacksmith"), is the main attendant deity to the protector deity Dorje Legpa and a protector deity in his own right. The two deities were likely indigenous to Tibet, but adopted in to the Tibetan Buddhist canon after its earliest introduction under Padmasambhava. They are tasked with protecting the Revealed Treasure texts of the Nyingma tradition.

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