A large and rare gilt zitan figure of a mahasiddha, Tibet, 17th century

Hong Kong Private Collection, acquired in 1984.

Carved from precious zitan (red sandalwood), this bold and expressive figure of a mahasiddha demonstrates the ingenuity of Tibetan sculptors. A slow-growing hardwood native to southern India and Southeast Asia, zitan was valued by cabinetmakers, carvers, and sculptors throughout the Himalayas and China for its density, exuberant grain, and deep, purplish color. It was particularly favored by the imperial court of China in the eighteenth century for use in furniture and decorative objects, to such an extent that its sources were nearly decimated by the early nineteenth century. Due to its slow-growing nature, it was exceedingly rare to find large single trunks of red sandalwood, and works of art created from zitan were usually joined together from smaller planks or pieces of timber. Such is the case with the present figure, which was intricately carved in several smaller blocks and joined together with pins.

Although the exact identity of the present figure remains elusive, he is represented in siddha appearance: clad only in various bits of jewelry, seated on an animal skin, his wild hair tied up in a tangle of dreads. It is likely the figure represents one of the eighty-four mahasiddhas, semi-historical Indian teachers of early Vajrayana Buddhism, although it is possible it may represent one of the later Tibetan (1452-1507) historical figures that were depicted in siddha appearance, such as Tsangnyon Heruka.