Four-Armed Avalokitesvara

INDONESIA

The Bodhisattva stands in a graceful posture with the head slightly inclined to the right. A high headdress is fronted with a Buddha, from under which plaits hang down over the shoulders. A high necklace encircles the neck and there is the faint indication of stole worn diagonally across the chest. The long skirt is of a thin material that shows the shape of the legs beneath. The skirt is secured with a buckled belt, while another belt made from a double ribbon is knotted further down. Most of the hands have broken short, but the lower right opens in varada (wish-granting) mudra. The origin of the statue is uncertain since it is in similar style of either the Srivijaya Empire (circa 7th–13th century) or of southern Thailand.