TIBET, 16TH CENTURY

Delicate turquoise jewelry adorns this slim figure sitting upon a lotus throne in dhyasana, from which a full-body robe hangs, with carefully-cast folds that give a lightness to it. The present figure is particularly rare because it depicts Padmasambhava in an atypical fashion—without his tantric staff or vulture-feather-topped hat. Instead, the figure wears a vajra-topped cap secured by a diadem of skulls topped with the Five Tathagatas. This headwear along with the vajra and bell he holds indicate that this is an image of him engaging in empowerments or rituals of the Highest Yoga Tantra (Anuttarayoga).