Seated Bodhisattva

NEPAL; Malla dynasty

The half lotus position of this elegant statue causes the slim body to sway to the right. The face with its half closed eyes and expressive mouth is inclined downwards. Gems once studded the five-leaf crown and other pieces of jewelry on the body, though most of it is now missing. A sacred thread falls down the upper body to below the waist and an antelope skin is wrapped around the left forearm, suggesting the Bodhisattva’s ascetic practice. The right hand is raised in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra. While the figure wears the pair of shorts common in Nepalese statues, the decorative swirl of material emerging from under one ankle suggests the presence of a translucent skirt as well.