Bao’en Temple Great Compassion Hall: Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara

CHINA, Sichuan, Mianyang; Ming dynasty

The body of this statue was carved from a single piece of wood. Avalokitesvara is depicted with four heads and one hundred and four arms. Exceptionally long arms stretch over the head and the hands hold a Buddha image. A pair of hands forms the anjali (reverence) mudra, while another pair forms the dhyana (meditation) mudra. The rest of the larger hands either form a mudra or hold items such as a sun, moon, mirror, or Dharma instruments. The Tang (618–907) version of the Great Compassion Dharani Sutra describes the items held in the Bodhisattva’s hands and explains their meaning. Smaller hands form concentric circles behind the figure and constitute the mandorla. The Bodhisattva wears various pieces of jewelry and the chest is particularly heavily adorned. Apart from the shoulders, the upper body is bare, while the lower body is wrapped in a heavy skirt.