15th century
Gilt copper with semi-precious stones
28 cm
Technique and function of Tibetan sculpture
Made of gilt copper and semi-precious stones, this image shows the workmanship typical of late medieval Tibetan masters, in which bronze casting and mercury gilding give the figure luminosity and a sacred presence.
The contained size suggests a private or monastic use, probably within a domestic altar or a secondary temple context. In this setting, sculpture is not only an aesthetic object, but an active instrument in meditative practice and in the visualization of the deity.
Symbolic attributes and Buddhist iconography
The iconographic attributes reinforce the doctrinal meaning of the figure. Among them are recognizable the lotus flower (padma), symbol of spiritual purity; the wish-fulfilling jewel (cintamani), emblem of spiritual realization; and the mala, or Buddhist rosary, connected with the recitation of mantras.
In some variants, the Bodhisattva assumes specific mudras, such as the varada mudra, the gesture of granting, which underlines his salvific function.
The insertion of semi-precious stones does not have only a decorative function, but helps define the spiritual value of the image as a support for meditation and the accumulation of merit.
