A RARE COPPER AND SILVER-INLAID BRONZE FIGURE OF MILAREPA TIBET, 15TH / 16TH CENTURY

seated in characteristic pose with right hand raised to the ear and holding a kapala containing a ratna jewel in his left hand, with a meditation band around his chest inlaid with copper and picked out with silver flower heads, his eyes inlaid with silver and copper and the urna inset with a turquoise, his long hair swept back and folding to the shoulders behind, seated on a flayed antelope skin draped over a lotus pedestal with an inscription running around the lower rim reading "salutations to the Reverend Milarepa", the base sealed with a consecration plate engraved with a visvavajra

The figure is generally in good condition. There is some expected surface wear through handling and the definition is somewhat lost on the inlaid silver flower head of the meditation band (showing on the illustration in the catalogue). There are some old cracks and casting faults around the right arm. The turquoise urna is likely to have been replaced. The consecration plate is possibly replaced, or just have been loosed and fixed with wax. There are traces of gold paints on the face and the neck and remains of black enamel in the hair.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Milarepa (ca 1040 – ca 1123) is perceived by Tibetans as the archetypal yogin and is held in the highest esteem for his heroic quest for knowledge. In his youth he mastered the black arts of sorcery, which he eventually renounced to seek Buddhist teaching from Marpa (1012-1096). Marpa set the novice frustrating tasks in his pursuit of dharma but Milarepa was eventually rewarded with the Buddhist teachings for which he had strived. His suffering at the hands of his teacher and his ultimate enlightenment informed the sublime poetry and songs for which Milarepa is famous. Compare a Tibetan fifteenth century example in the Rietberg Museum collection, see Helmut Uhlig, On the Path to Enlightenment, Zurich, 1995, p. 182, cat. no. 126. The Sanskrit inscription incised around the base can read ‘Salutations to the Reverend Milarepa’.