Standing Bodhisattva

CHINA; Tang dynasty

The Bodhisattva wears a tall headdress with ribbons rippling down to waist-level. The round face has slender eyebrows curved over lowered eyes and prominent cheek-bones. The neck has the three lines of a great person. Jeweled ornaments adorn the upper body while a buoyant stole drapes the arms. The expressive right hand is held at shoulder height and turns inward, and the left holds a vase. The statue wears a vividly sculpted low-waisted skirt that extends to the ankles. The figure stands barefoot in a graceful posture with a slight tilt at the head; the dynamic effect is further supported by the elegant gesture and the sway of the stole and ribbons. The positioning of the figure is reminiscent of the High Tang period (712–756).