Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

SRI LANKA

The Amitabha image on the tall headdress and the vase carried in the left hand identify this Bodhisattva as Avalokitesvara. Loops of hair are drape down the double-tier headdress. The upper body is decorated with pieces of jewelry, and the most notable is the magnificent collar necklace. A beaded sacred thread winds down the body and across the hip. The lower body is wrapped in a skirt that is secured with a knot on one side. The fringes of the garment spread at the shins, but apart from this element, there is no other indication of the garment.
The statue is in the tribhanga posture, which was a style typical during the Anuradhapura Kingdom (circa 4th century BCE–10th century CE). Other traits from this era are the fuller shape of the figure and the simplified clothing. Statues adorned with thick collar-necklaces and sacred threads were usually made between the 8th and 9th centuries.