Avalokitesvara Holding a Willow Branch

CHINA; Southern Song dynasty

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva has a rounded face and downcast eyes, and wears a necklace, a monastic robe, and a headdress with a Buddha image on the front. The Bodhisattva is seated at ease on a Sumeru throne, holding a willow branch in the right hand. A child attendant holding a lotus is shown floating down from the sky on the right. The stole draped around the child’s arms flutters in the air, creating a sense of movement. Another child, with one foot lifted high off the ground and the other on a lotus pedestal, stands in the bottom right corner holding a lotus in the raised right hand.
Avalokitesvara seems somber and serene, in contrast to the playfulness of the children. The canopy above the Bodhisattva, the Sumeru throne, and the tiles on the floor are carefully drawn using the ruled-line technique. This meticulous approach is complemented with dynamic figures and earthy colors.