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Fifth Panchen Lama
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Fifth Panchen Lama
CHINA; Qing dynasty (1644–1911); Gilt copper alloy; H: 18.7 cm; National Museum of China, Beijing
This is a depiction of the 15 year old Lobsang Yeshe, who is referred to as the Fifth Panchen Lama. He wears a ritual hood and sits in full lotus position on a cushion, making the bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra with his right hand. A tenon on the left hand indicates that a scripture was once supported there. The half-closed eyes and slight downturn of the mouth indicate the intensity of his concentration. The Panchen Lama wears an inner robe that leaves the right shoulder bare and an outer robe that falls in deep folds across the body and over the legs. A three-line Tibetan inscription on the back of the base states that the sculpture conceals sacred, protective relics of the Buddha, including a hair and a tooth. |
