{"product_id":"antieke-vuurvergulde-tibetaanse-gelug-lama-exportzegel-1962","title":"Tibetan Gelug Lama with 1962 Nepal Export Seal – Fire-Gilt Bronze, c.1750–1850","description":"\u003ch2\u003eA documented Tibetan portrait bronze\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis fire-gilt figure belongs to the portrait tradition of the Gelug school, where eminent teachers were represented not as generalized Buddhas but as identifiable members of a monastic lineage. The tall pandita hat, layered robes and compact seated posture immediately place the figure within that clerical tradition. One hand is raised in a teaching gesture while the other supports a bound text, emphasizing scholarship and transmission rather than devotional iconography alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhy the surface matters\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sculpture is a hollow copper-alloy cast with an open base. Inside, remnants of the original earthen core remain visible together with irregular casting deposits. Across the exterior, old gilding survives strongly in recessed passages, around the robe borders and in protected areas, while higher points show darker exposed alloy and natural handling wear. The combination of casting structure, surface wear and surviving gold is consistent with traditional mercury-amalgam fire gilding.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe 1962 Nepal export seal\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe attached paper tag with red lacquer seal is an important part of the object's history. It is dated \u003cstrong\u003e1962\u003c\/strong\u003e and records official export through Nepal. The seal does not date the manufacture of the bronze; rather, it provides a fixed point in the object's later provenance. Tibetan sculptures frequently circulated through Nepal before entering Western collections, and this surviving tag documents that stage of its history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eDating and attribution\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe figure is catalogued to approximately \u003cstrong\u003e1750–1850\u003c\/strong\u003e. The date is based on the sculptural type, handling of the robes, casting method, preserved core material and age pattern of the gilding. The iconography is compatible with portraits of senior Gelug masters, including Panchen Lama-type images, but no individual incarnation is assigned without an inscription.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCatalogue data\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tibet\u003c\/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e c.1750–1850\u003c\/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e fire-gilt copper alloy \/ bronze\u003c\/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e H 16.7 × W 10 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 600 g\u003c\/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nepal export seal dated 1962\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePreserved in antique condition with old gilding, natural wear, dark accretions and original core remnants visible inside the open base. The export label remains attached and should be regarded as part of the object's documented history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"1stbuddha","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58406189597003,"sku":"762","price":995.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1012\/6170\/5547\/files\/tibetaanse-vuurvergulde-gelug-lama-pandita-hoed-vooraanzicht.jpg?v=1788856504","url":"https:\/\/1stbuddha.com\/products\/tibetan-gelug-lama-fire-gilt-bronze-nepal-export-seal-1962","provider":"1stbuddha","version":"1.0","type":"link"}