Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Triad

INDIA

An Amitabha Buddha is depicted on Avalokitesvara’s headdress, where the hair is arranged into a topknot with several locks falling to the shoulders. The Bodhisattva’s neck shows the three lines of a great person. The broad shoulders taper toward the waist and the arms and hands are exceptionally long. This elongation, combined with emphasis of the musculature of the chest and abdomen is characteristic of Kashmiri sculpture. An antelope skin hangs from the figure’s left shoulder and the body is adorned with numerous strands of beads. There is a long, garland-like ornament that drapes down from the arms and onto the double lotus throne, where the Bodhisattva sits in the relaxation posture. The lotus is missing from the stalk held in the left hand. Two smaller female attendants both wearing crowns stand on outgrowths from the throne.