A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF THE THIRD CHANGKYA HUTUKTU, ROLPAI DORJE QING, 18TH CENTURY

A GILT COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF THE THIRD CHANGKYA HUTUKTU, ROLPAI DORJE QING, 18TH CENTURY Himalayan Art Resources item no. 13402 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm) high Footnotes: 清 十八世紀 銅鎏金三世章嘉呼圖克圖若必多吉像 Rolpai Dorje (1717-86) was the principal authority of Tibetan Buddhism at the Chinese court for half a century during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. He was known by his Mongolian hereditary title of Changkya Hutuktu, 'His Holiness' or 'The Great Blessed One', an epithet for an eminent religious authority in the Qing dynasty milieu. Having been recognized at an early age as the reincarnation of the First Changkya Hutuktu, Ngawang Losang Chöden (1642-1714, the spiritual mentor of the Kangxi and Yongzheng Emperors), Rolpai Dorje entered the nearby Gonlung monastery (Temple of the Protecting Peace) at the age of three; he was the abbot until 1769. In 1734, Rolpai Dorje was appointed National Preceptor by Prince Hongli's father and predecessor, the Yongzheng Emperor (1723-35), who bestowed the rank of 'Teacher of the Empire' upon him. While Rolpai Dorje is often depicted with a squarish jaw and a formidable gaze, see HAR 33510 for another example showing him with an oval physiognomy and sweet expression like the present bronze. Provenance Private Connecticut Collection Sotheby's, New York, 15 March 2017, lot 224 For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing