Jetsun Milarepa Statue – Buddhist Figure with Filigree

Jetsun Milarepa was a monk, healer, and poet who lived in the early 12th century. As a student of Marpa Lotsawa, he played a formative role in the early development of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Through his ascetic life, his songs of realization, and his decades of wandering, he became one of the most influential figures in the Tibetan meditation and transmission tradition.

The statue depicts Milarepa in a relaxed, semi-open seated posture on a gazelle skin. His right hand is raised behind the ear with outstretched fingers, a gesture characteristic of Milarepa’s iconography. In his left hand he holds a begging bowl. The robe crosses at the front and opens loosely. It covers the right shoulder and upper arm, the left arm, and the legs.

The robe and base are richly decorated with filigree. Fine spiral shapes, filled with smaller arched elements, create a continuous ornamental pattern. Colored stones accent the filigree; floral motifs are integrated into the design and highlight selected areas. The densely arranged patterns follow the folds of the robe and create a brocade-like texture.

The gazelle skin on which Milarepa sits appears to lie on the base. At the front, a slightly raised gazelle head is integrated into the design. The forehead aligns with the upper edge of the base, while the horns extend above it. The four legs of the skin are incorporated into the surrounding filigree, allowing figural and ornamental elements to merge.

The figure belongs to the Marpa–Milarepa–Gampopa ensemble, a group rarely found in this artistic quality. The three figures share the same size and execution and form a coherent ensemble.

Milarepa

Statue made of copper, traditional lost wax cast, decorated with filigree, silver- and gold-plated, set with colored stones. The figure is patinated. The face is set in gold. Handcrafted in Nepal.

• Height: 19.5 cm
• Width: 16.7 cm
• Depth: 10.5 cm
• Weight: 2,147 g

NOTE
The face painting is a cold gold application and water-soluble. Dust can be gently removed with a soft brush.