Votive Tablet with Bodhisattva Pentad

CHINA; Tang dynasty

It is thought that this tablet was made during the Tang dynasty and was probably used as a wall decoration in a temple or pagoda.
The tablet is molded in clay and shows a central Bodhisattva with four attendant Bodhisattvas. The central figure has a topknot and a long face with high a forehead, slender eyes, bulbous nose, large mouth, and round chin. The chest is adorned with a heavy necklace, and the body has long and thin limbs. The Bodhisattva sits in royal ease position on a lotus throne, while the left hand performs the vitarka (teaching) mudra and the right forearm is placed on the knee. The throne is a long-stemmed lotus supported by a sturdy lion with a long mane, bulging eyes, and large snout.
The attendant Bodhisattvas have similar builds to the central figure, and perform the abhaya (fearlessness) mudra. They stand rather stiffly on pedestals made of clouds. All the figures have a nimbus in the form of a lotus petal.