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Rare
Tibetan Polychrome Wood Carving
Gunaprabha
Holding Skull Cup in Charity Mudra
Circa: 16-17th century
H
9.5 in.(23cm.), W 6 in.(15cm.), D 3 in.(7.5cm.)
Condition: consecrated, repair, missing thumb
A
very old dark hardwood carving of a Great Adept. He sits in
full lotus, a kapala in his left hand, right hand in varada
mudra, the gift bestowing gesture. He wears a scholar’s hat
which is banded in gold and studded with stars. His simple
robes are dotted with a floral design and his face and body
are gilded. This portrait of a living master who has attained
the Great Perfection is highly individualized, with a heavy-lidded
gaze, prominent nose, full cheeks and curving red lips. He
sits on a double lotus base in front of a mandorla that is
thickly laden with golden flowers and lined in red. Age cracks
have been mended with supporting wood tabs nailed in at the
back. A long nail holds tight a separated section of the base
on the right. The dignified face wears its worn gilding like
a veil; the inward expression and gentle demeanor enclose
its invisible history as a devotional and meditation aid.
The bottom is sealed, indicating that a ceremony was held
to consecrate the statue, and that blessings in the form of
prayers or relics may have been placed inside.
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Private
Collection
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The
statue represents the Great Adept, or Mahasiddha, as exemplar
of the tantric leap of evolution all the way to Buddhahood,
rejecting the temporal flow of ordinary history. Such Masters
influenced the Chan (Zen) movement in China, the legendary
Bodhidharma being one of them, who live as perfect Buddhas
on the subtle plane, within their old ordinary bodies, within
their old societies and within their old universe. Some were
great scholars and writers, but often they maintained ordinary
occupations, such as king, wife, merchant, farmer, or even
outcaste. The skull cup serves as a constant reminder of death
and impermanence. The importance of this truth is demonstrated
by its being lifted to the heart, symbolizing the union of
absolute and relative truth and the cultivation of great bliss.
The kapala contains the blood and guts of demons transformed
into nectar by the wisdom of the Great Enlightenment.--RW
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