14th-15th century, Tibet, Milarepa, gilt copper alloy with cold gold and pigments, size not given, photo on wisdomlib, at the Patan Museum.
Circa 16th century, Tibet, Milarepa? (labelled ’16th century probably, Tibet or Nepal, yogin), bronze with copper inlay, 20 cm, Asian Art lot 423, 8th June 2012, Lempertz.
16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, bronze, 7,5 cm, private collection, Purity and Enlightenment lot 7, Hollywood Galleries
15th century, Tibet, Milarepa, gilt metal, private collection, photo on HAR
A singular portrait of a youthful Milarepa raising his right hand above his knee (rather than next to his ear). He wears a meditation strap and holds a begging bowl in his left hand.
15th-16th century, Central Tibet, Milarepa, copper alloy, 12,4 cm, The Claude de Marteau Collection Part III lot 7, 14th June 2023, Bonhams (Paris).
This masterpiece depicts the Tibetan poet and teacher on an antelope skin atop a hemispherical base richly engraved with a floral pattern; his garment and his meditation strap are also decorated with incised motifs – a style we have seen many times on 15th and 16th century non-gilt works attributed to a workshop in the Tsang province. He is ‘listening to the echoes of nature’ (in his own words) with his right hand and holds a skull cup in the other. As usual his long hair is combed back, and he wears floral ear ornaments.
16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, bronze, 10,4 cm, private collection, Art d’Asie lot 178, 16th December 2022, Christie’s (Paris).
He is sometimes shown with his right hand over his raised knee and a skull cup in the left hand, as above. The antelope skin is spread over an unusual lotus base with large leaves that are overlapping and facing downwards.
16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, bronze, 8,5 cm, private collection, photo on Hollywood Galleries
A classic portrait of Milarepa seated with his legs unlocked (usually on an antelope skin although in this case it rather looks like a tiger’s) atop a lotus base, his chest half bare, adorned with a piece of rope around his neck and spiral-shaped bone earrings, his long curly hair combed backwards, a yogic strap slung across his chest, his right hand raised to his ear ‘to listen to the echoes of nature’, the left one holding a skull cup.
1550-1650 AD, Central tibet, Milarepa (or follower?) , wood, 23 cm, photo on Fondation Alain Bordier , nº ABS 056 at the Tibet Museum in Gruyères (Switzerland).
He may also hold a begging bowl or a horn, the above has a long-life vase in his left hand, he sits on cushions covered with a large tiger skin, and wears a vest, just like a naljorpa (tantric practitioner follower of Milarepa) seen here.
17th-18th century, Tibet, Milarepa, clay with traces of polychromy and gilding, 16,4 cm, private collection, Indian and Southeast Asian Art lot 205, 31st March 2005, Christie’s.
Depicted as an ascetic seated in a cave, leaning on his left arm.
18th-19th century, Tibet, Milarepa, wood, 8,5 cm, private collection, photo on Cornette de Saint Cyr
14th century, Tibet, Milarepa, bronze, private collection, Indian & Southeast Asian Art lot 124, 20th September 2006, Christie’s.
We have seen very few sculptures of Milarepa raising his left hand to his ear (‘to listen to the echoes of nature’, as he is reported to have said) and leaning on the opposite hand. This brass work depicts him seated on an antelope skin spread over a rocky formation, alluding to his retirement in a cave in order to meditate.
1350-1450, Tibet, Milarepa, bronze with copper and silver inlay, photo on Fondation Alain Bordier , at the Tibet Museum in Gruyères (Switzerland).
Nearly always seated in a relaxed manner, he usually raises the right hand to his ear. The above has silver-inlaid eyes and a copper-inlaid yogic strap. As often, he holds a skull cup in his left hand and wears spiral-shaped bone earrings.
15th-16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, limestone and pigments, private collection, Fine Chinese Art lot 373, 16th October 2021, Galerie Zacke.
16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, bronze, private collection, Asian Art lot 69, 6th December 2013, Lempertz.
Circa 17th century, Tibet, Milarepa and attendants, polychrome wood, private collection, Indian & Southeast Asian Art lot 127, 17th October 2001, Christie’s.
A composition with two standing attendants, a couple of deer (to record an episode when he saved a deer from a hunter and his dog), his teacher Marpa, who is flanked by Avalokiteshvara in his four-arm form and the buddha Amitabha.
17th-18th century, Tibet, Milarepa with attendants, polychrome stone with cold gold, private collection, Indian & Southeast Asian Art lot 109, 27th March 2003, Christie’s.
A simpler arrangement, with a frieze of birds below the lotus seat and three monks in three niches above the cave.
15th-16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, stone? with traces of cold gold, private collection, photo on Rossi & Rossi.
A striking image of the Tibetan hero portrayed like an ascetic seated on a domed rock covered with an antelope skin, his right hand raised to his ear to ‘listen to the echoes of Nature’, the other making the ‘calling Earth to witness’ gesture (which is unusual).
15th century, Tibet, Milarepa, gilt bronze, item S2012.9.4459 at the Arthur M. Sackler gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC (USA).
Milarepa wearing a long undergarment and an outer robe (but no vest), both with an embroidered border. He is seated on two brocaded cushions covered with a blanket and an antelope skin, and leans on his left arm.
16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, copper alloy with silver-inlaid eyes and copper-inlaid hem, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s.
This masterpiece depicts him as an elderly man, with a moustache and goatee, wearing a meditation strap decorated with a geometrical design and a silk garment with a very ornate floral motif along the edge. He is seated with his ankles crossed, his right hand in the gesture of debate, the other holding a skull cup. As pointed out by Sotheby’s, this work is very similar to another sculpture of Milarepa seen on HAR and on Christie’s .
17th century, Tibet?, Milarepa, copper or copper alloy?, private collection, photo on Treasure Art.
The vast majority of statues of Milarepa depict him with one hand, usually the right one, close to his ear ‘to listen to the echoes of nature’ and the other holding a skull cup, as above (sometimes a begging bowl or an antelope horn). This one includes an antelope skin spread over the stepped platform that supports a lotus seat. (We have seen that not all characters with one hand to their ear are Milarepa).
18th-19th century, Tibet, Milarepa, parcel-gilt copper alloy with silver and gold inlay, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s, Hong Kong.
A few statues depict him in a different posture. He may lean on his left arm and have his right hand across his raised knee, as on this late example, unusual in various ways: the base is a rocky formation (alluding to the cave where he lived as an ascetic), the antelope skin and the foliage that fall over it are painted with cold gold, Milarepa’s garment is decorated with silver and gold inlaid roundels in the manner of early bronzes from the Pala period.
17th century, Tibet?, Milarepa, gilt bronze, private collection, photo on Bonhams, London
It is unusual for him to raise one hand and rest the other across his leg. The meditation strap with a large rice-grain motif, on the other hand, is quite common, especially on 16th century brass works, some of which have the same type of lotus base.
15th century, Tibet, Milarepa, gilt copper alloy with polychromy, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s .
Adorned with earplugs, the highly esteemed Tibetan poet and teacher is seated in a relaxed manner on an antelope skin (indicating that he is a yogi) spread over the lotus base. He leans on his left arm and ‘listens to the echoes of nature’ with his right hand.
Undated, Tibet, Milarepa, (gilt copper alloy), private collection, photo on Christie’s, Paris .
He usually has long hair combed back, and often wears a meditation strap across his chest. On occasions he is depicted with an antelope horn in one of his hands (usually the left one).
16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, bronze, private collection, photo on Koller , lot 209.
More commonly he holds a skull cup in his left hand, and often wears spiral-shaped bone earrings.
16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, bronze, Koller.
Koller draw our attention to the (human thighbone) trumpet next to him. There is also a small pot with a lid (see close up and other photos on above link).
16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, bronze and traces of cold gold, private collection, photo on Koller, lot 210.
It is unusual for him to have his left hand over his knee.
Undated (15th or 16th century), Tibet, Tsang province atelier, Milarepa, (copper alloy with silver-inlaid eyes, traces of cold gold and pigments), private collection, photo on Himalayan Art Resources .
For this lively sculpture of the Tibetan poet, teacher, saint, and founder of the Kagyu order, the artist has used pigments on the face, hair, and yogic strap. Milarepa is seated on an antelope skin atop a lotus base, ‘listening to the echoes of nature’ with his right hand and holding what looks like a manuscript in the other. Traditionally he holds a skull cup, a begging bowl, or an antelope horn in his left hand.
16th century or earlier, Tibet or Bhutan, Milarepa, stone? with cold gold and pigments, photo on Daily Bhutan, at the Shedrup Choling monastery in Bhutan.
Whether the statue was actually made by Milarepa’s sister some 900 years ago as it is believed, or whether it was made during the 16th century to be kept at the Druk Sangag Choeling monastery in Tibet, this precious relic is now kept in Bhutan, where Milarepa came from. It depicts him with his right hand across the knee while leaning on his left arm, a yogic strap slung over his left shoulder.
Undated, Tibet, Milarepa, clay? with cold gold and painted details, photo on Naldjor , was at Tsurphu, Tibet, now possibly at Rumtek in Sikkim (now in India).
See notes and good wishes on above link.
16th-17th century, Tibet, Milarepa, polychrome zitan wood, private collection, photo on Sotheby’s .
Milarepa, identified by the inscription on the base and by the way his right hand is cupped to ‘listen to the echoes of nature’. He is seated in a relaxed manner with his right knee raised, on a double-lotus base covered with the skin of a deer, holding a skull cup in his left hand. His sumptuous silk garment is decorated with a floral print.
Circa 16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, copper alloy, private collection, photo on Cornette de Saint Cyr .
Seated on a single lotus.
18th century, Tibet, Milarepa, gilt bronze, private collection, photo on Drouot .
18th century, Tibet, Milarepa, bronze, private collection, photo on Hardt .
Seated on two cushions.
18th century, Tibet, Milarepa, polychrome clay, private collection, photo by Tessier-Sarrou, 16th December 2013 lot 113.
Inside a cave, his hair tied in a bun, the skull cup containing a vase.
18th century, Tibet, Milarepa, clay with traces of polychromy, private collection, photo on Tessier-Sarrou, 16th December 2013 lot 114.
Seated on a single cushion.
18th century, Tibet, Milarepa, clay with traces of polychromy, private collection, photo by Tessier-Sarrou, 16th December 2013 lot 111.
It is unusual for him to lean on his left hand while the right hand is raised to his ear. He has a few strands of hair falling over his shoulders, and there is a yogic strap across his chest. The animal skin on the lotus base seems to be that of an antelope (with horns rather than antlers).
Late 14th or early 15th century, Central Tibet, Milarepa, copper alloy with traces of colour, at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (USA).
16th century, Tibet, Milarepa, metal (brass) with copper inlay, at the Zhiguan Museum of Fine Arts in Beijing (China), photo on HAR .
Undated (15th or 16th century), Tibet, Jetchan Mila Repa, (brass?), at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia (USA), photo on Journal .
Milarepa, seated on an antelope skin placed on a single lotus base, a skull cup in his left hand, ‘listening to the echoes of nature’ with the other, his meditation belt slung over his right shoulder.
18th century, Eastern Tibet, Milarepa, copper with cold gold and pigment, photo by Hanhai Auctions, October 2015 on HAR .
18th century, Tibet, Milarepa, gilt metal, at the Tibet House Museum in New Delhi, photo 51174 from the Huntington Archive
Leaning on his left arm.
18th century, Tibet, Milarepa, metal (copper alloy with cold gold and pigment), nº 50649 in the Huntington Archive.
(circa 18th century?, Tibet?), Milarepa (brass with traces of cold gold), private collection, photo on Himalayan Art Resources .
Seated on the hide of an antelope, atop a rocky formation, an adorant at his feet. Below, a cave with a lama and two dogs.
Himalayan Buddhist Art - Art Bouddhiste de l'Himalaya 