Description
The richly brocaded robe and elaborate headdress of this lama, or revered teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, proclaim his high status. Indeed, the inscription on the base identifies him as Namgyal Dragpa Zangpo, a great scholar of the Kalachakra Tantra who lived in the 14th-15th century. Known from a range of Tibetan historical sources, Namgyal Dragpa Zangpo came from a prominent family and rose to a high office within the Kagyu monastic tradition. In this idealized portrait, probably made after his death, the prayer beads he holds emphasizes his religious knowledge.
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