A GILT COPPER-ALLOY REPOUSSÉ FIGURE OF BUDDHA AMITABHA, WITH AN INSCRIPTION REFERRING TO THE SECOND KIRTI LAMA, TENPA RINCHEN (1474-1558)
Tibet, 15th-16th century. Seated in vajraparyankasana on a double-lotus base with beaded edges, neatly incised at the top beneath each knee with consecrated and dedicatory inscriptions. His hands are lowered in dhyana mudra. He is wearing a long flowing robe finely incised with foliate designs at the hems and gathering in carved folds at the base. The serene face with heavy-lidded, painted eyes, gently arched brows centered by an urna, and full lips forming a calm smile. The hair arranged in tight curls over the domed ushnisha topped by a jewel.


Inscriptions:
To the top of the base, beneath the Buddha’s left knee, ‘Jigten Hoe’, referring to a manner of worship, followed by a number or date; and beneath his right knee, ‘Choe Je
Tenpa Rinchen
Ne She So’.


Provenance
: Ute Asboth, Galerie Asboth, Vienna, May 2000. Collection of Maria and Johannes Nickl, acquired from the above and thence by descent in the same family. A copy of the original expertise letter written and signed by Ute Asboth, describing the illustrated present bronze as a gilt copper repoussé figure of Amitabha and dating it to the 17th century, accompanies this lot. A copy of the original handwritten receipt, written and signed by Ute Asboth, dated 31 May 2000, accompanies this lot. Ute Asboth (c. 1927-2018) began her career in the Asian art trade at Galerie Zacke in the early 1980s before eventually founding Galerie Asboth in Vienna, Austria. The gallery specialized in East Asian art and published extensively. Several noted exhibitions were curated in close cooperation with Luigi Bandini from Eskenazi gallery in London, United Kingdom. Maria (1926-2022) and Johannes Nickl (d. 2020) lived in Vienna, Austria, and were ardent collectors of Asian, Buddhist, and Egyptian works of art.

Condition:
Very good condition with expected old wear, small dents, few tiny losses, light scratches. The base unsealed.

Weight: 929 g
Dimensions: Height 26.5 cm


The Second Kirti Lama, Tenpa Rinchen
(1474-1558) was born in a place called Dungsha in the lower region of Ngawa, in Amdo. In 1489, at the age of sixteen, he traveled to U, where he studied medicine under a physician named Dondrub and the sutras of Maitreya under Lama Chopel Zangpo at a hermitage named Rakhadrak. He studied Abhidharma and Vinaya under Meru Jampa Rinchen, who, in 1493, gave him full ordination together with the name Tenpa Rinchen Chokyi Gyeltsen. After studying sutra and tantra for six years, he received empowerments for various dharma protectors from the Sakya lama Kunga Rinchen, after which he went into retreat for three years. In total, he spent fourteen years in U, returning home in 1504 at the age of thirty-one.


Upon his return, Tenpa Rinchen
first went to Tala Hermitage in Taktsang Lhamo, which had been established by Rongchen Gendun Gyeltsen (1374-1450). There he gave empowerments and teachings on language, poetry, medicine, and astrology. He lived at Tala for seven years, expanding it and overseeing the community. Afterwards, he announced that he was the reincarnation of Rongchen Gendun Gyeltsen, and then went to Kalari Kirti monastery, which Gendun Gyeltsen had established in 1412 as his seat. He took for himself the title of Kirti Lama, and posthumously gave the title of the First Kirti to Gendun Gyeltsen.


As part of his activity in expanding the Gelug tradition in Amdo
, he converted a Jonang monastery to Geluk, apparently by force. In retaliation, a Jonang Tulku sent the army of Tsangpa Lhundup Rabten to attack Kalari Kirti Monastery, forcing Tenpa Rinchen to flee. He was invited to Muge Monastery in Ngawa, where he gave teachings. At around the same time, the Chinese Ming Emperor Zhengde invited him to China. He declined the invitation but he did a divination for the Emperor and recommended what prayers he should read. Zhengde again sent an envoy with gold and silver gifts and an ivory stamp, which read ‘The Precious Accomplished and Enlightened Teacher’.





鎏金銅阿彌陀佛像，刻有第二世格爾登喇嘛丹巴仁欽
(1474-1558)
銘文


西藏，十五至十六世紀。阿彌陀佛呈金剛菩提坐於雙層蓮座上，膝蓋下方頂部整齊地刻有銘文。佛陀雙手低垂，結禪定印，面容安詳，雙眼微閉，雙眉之間有白毫，面露微笑，螺髻。身著一件袈裟，蓮座邊緣飾有串珠紋。


款識
:
底座頂部，佛陀左膝下方，寫有“Jigten Hoe”，後面是數字或日期； 右膝下方刻有“Choe Je Tenpa Rinchen Ne She So”。


來源
: Ute Asboth, 維也納Asboth藝廊，2000年5月；Maria與Johannes Nickl收藏，購於上述藝廊，在同一家族保存至今。隨附一份由Ute Asboth出具的鑒定書複印件，上可見關於造像的描述並斷代為十七世紀。Ute Asboth (約1927-2018) 於 1980 年代初在 Zacke藝廊開始了她在亞洲藝術貿易的職業生涯，之後在奧地利維也納創立了 Asboth藝廊。該藝廊專門從事東亞藝術並廣泛出版，她與英國倫敦 Eskenazi 畫廊的 Luigi Bandini 密切合作，並策劃了幾個著名的展覽。Maria (1926-2022) 與 Johannes Nickl (d. 2020) 曾生活在奧地利維也納，是知名的亞洲藝術、佛教藝術以及埃及手工藝品收藏家。

品相:
狀況極好，有磨損、小凹痕、輕微缺損、輕微劃痕。 底座未密封。

重量: 929 克
尺寸：高 26.5 厘米