Ngawang Losang Gyatso, the Great Fifth Dalai Lama
Central Regions, Tibet, late 17th century
Gilt bronze
Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts
Gift of N. L. Horch to the Riverside Museum Collection, 1971.267

Tibetan art is unique for the large number of representations of lamas (teachers) represented in both painting and sculpture. Some lamas are considered emanations of Bodhisattvas and thus an extended lineage can be traced through the centuries. The line of Dalai Lamas is linked to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. The Fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682 C.E.), who consolidated both political and spiritual power to lead a unified Tibetan nation, ushered in a golden age of Tibetan art.

This sculpture of the Dalai Lama is considered one of the finest depictions of this important historical figure. Artistically, it represents the height of Tibetan art, showing an exquisite equilibrium between naturalism and abstraction. In a gesture of discernment, the Dalai Lama appears calm, poised and dignified. His idealized head is set off by a voluminous mound of drapery, elegantly and abstractly incised with foliage and lotus flowers. This effect heightens the stature of the figure, which is shown with a ceremonial dagger called a phurba -- used in tantric rituals -- at his waist.