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Source Description
This portrait statue depicts the first monastic leader of the prominent Buddhist monastery of Densatil, an influential early leader of the Tibetan Buddhist monastic order called Kagyu, famous for his views on the importance of meditation. He sits on a lotus pedestal and lion throne, like a Buddha, and his hand positions (mudras) communicate that meditation leads to enlightenment.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
157010
label
Portrait of Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo (1110–1170)
core
obj
dtoType
sculpture
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
157010
contentType
sculpture
title
Portrait of Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo (1110–1170)
description
This portrait statue depicts the first monastic leader of the prominent Buddhist monastery of Densatil, an influential early leader of the Tibetan Buddhist monastic order called Kagyu, famous for his views on the importance of meditation. He sits on a lotus pedestal and lion throne, like a Buddha, and his hand positions (mudras) communicate that meditation leads to enlightenment.
date
1200s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79947160
genreSpecific
Sculpture
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 13.5 x 12 x 8.5 cm (5 5/16 x 4 3/4 x 3 3/8 in.); Base: 8 x 19 x 14 cm (3 1/8 x 7 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.)
cul
Central Tibet
accession
1993.160.a
Source extras
tec
gilt bronze with gold, silver, copper, turquoise, lapis, and coral inlay
tombstone
Portrait of Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo (1110–1170), 1200s. Central Tibet. Gilt bronze with gold, silver, copper, turquoise, lapis, and coral inlay; overall: 13.5 x 12 x 8.5 cm (5 5/16 x 4 3/4 x 3 3/8 in.); base: 8 x 19 x 14 cm (3 1/8 x 7 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1993.160.a
collection
Tibetan Art
inscriptions
inscription
/ / Na mo 'ghu ru / / Ngan lam ban chung bdag gis ni / / bla ma Rin chen sku bzhengs pa yi / / bsod nams 'di yi byin brlabs kyis / / 'gro drug sdug sngal zad par shog / /
Translation: "Salutations to the master ! May the sufferings of the six kinds of beings be appeased through the blessing of merit gained by me, the little monk of Ngan.lam, in having this statue of the Lama Rin.chen made."
citations
citation
"1993 Annual Report." <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 81, no. 6 (1994): 143-218.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 157; Mentioned: p. 158
citation
Huntington, John C., Dina Bangdel, and Robert A. F. Thurman. <em>The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art</em>. Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2003.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 35, pp. 160-162
creditline
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
sketchfabId
5bab9843256044debfc19d0710fe00da
updatedAt
2026-06-18 21:18:13.797000
sourceId
157010
dept
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
coll
Tibetan Art
med
gilt bronze with gold, silver, copper, turquoise, lapis, and coral inlay
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
c1244433b9caf051