Avalokiteshvara – Bodhisattva of compassion
See it in the Museum
India and Nepal
Orientation 3
Display 4
ABS 362
Code: ABS 362
Country: India (Kurkihar, Bihar)
Style: Late Pala Style
Date: 1000 - 1100
Dimensions in cm WxHxD: 8.8 x 12.5 x 4.5
Materials: Bronze, inset with rubies
Avalokiteshvara – Bodhisattva of
compassion
Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion sits in the royal ease posture. His hair is arranged in intricate bun and he wears the sacred thread across his chest. With his right harm on his knee, he rests on his left arm while holding the stem of a lotus which blooms near his shoulder. His eyes and urna are inlaid with silver, contrasting sharply with the dark alloy in which he was cast, and his bun is inset with a ruby.
This statue, along with two others (ABS 360 & ABS 361) come from the site of Kurkihar, India, where in 1930 there was a major archaeological discovery of over two hundred and twenty buried metal statues. Located in the Bihar region near Bodhgaya, where it is said that the Buddha reached Enlightenment, it was an important pilgrimage site as well as a major art production center. The artworks produced there are a singular example of the north Indian Pala style.
Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion sits in the royal ease posture. His hair is arranged in intricate bun and he wears the sacred thread across his chest. With his right harm on his knee, he rests on his left arm while holding the stem of a lotus which blooms near his shoulder. His eyes and urna are inlaid with silver, contrasting sharply with the dark alloy in which he was cast, and his bun is inset with a ruby.
This statue, along with two others (ABS 360 & ABS 361) come from the site of Kurkihar, India, where in 1930 there was a major archaeological discovery of over two hundred and twenty buried metal statues. Located in the Bihar region near Bodhgaya, where it is said that the Buddha reached Enlightenment, it was an important pilgrimage site as well as a major art production center. The artworks produced there are a singular example of the north Indian Pala style.