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Representation of the Bodhisattva of Mercy,
known as Avalokiteshvara, or Guanyin in
Chinese. Bodhisattvas were originally depicted as
the Buddha’s attendants but increasingly came to
be venerated in their own right. Avalokiteshvara
is identifiable by the small seated Buddha that
appears in the headdress. This figure was so
popular in China that by the Tang era its image
outnumbered those of the Buddha. Although
Buddhist texts do not specify the gender of
bodhisattvas, the early examples tend to be
male. From the end of the Song Dynasty (1279)
this trend was reversed and by the Ming period
such images are clearly feminine.
In this sculpture Avalokiteshvara is seated on a
pedestal covered with an elaborate gilded
drapery which falls in concentric folds. The head
is slightly bent and supported by the right arm,
with one of the exquisitely carved fingers resting
lightly against the cheek. The upper body is bare
except for a delicate necklace and celestial
scarves. The lower body is covered by a waist
length tunic and all the details of the costume
are enlivened by the use of red, green and blue
pigments. This work belongs to a group of three
bodhisattvas all in the Barakat collection. The
overall impression is one of immense calm and
meditation.
- (AM.0162)
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