Yunyan Temple Pagoda: Portable Shrine with Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

CHINA, Jiangsu, Suzhou; Tang dynasty to Five Dynasties

This portable shrine carved from sandalwood was recovered from the third story of Yunyan Temple Pagoda in Suzhou in 1956.
The shrine consists of a main panel and two side panels supported by a Sumeru pedestal. It could be attached to a rope passing through the top and base, making it easily portable. The image in the central panel is that of a standing Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with a crown, a nimbus, and a mandorla. Avalokitesvara holds chanting beads and stands on a lotus pedestal. A lotus bud extends upward on each side of the Bodhisattva. Sudhana kneels on the right bud, holding lotuses as an offering.
The side panels contain symmetrical images of attending Bodhisattvas seated on high lotus thrones. Above each Bodhisattva, there is an apsara wearing flowing garments.