Kek Lok Si Temple: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
Bronze
Kek Lok Si Temple: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (detail)
Kek Lok Si Temple: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
MALAYSIA, Penang, Air Itam
The original statue was constructed using white fiber glass in 1974 but it deteriorated. Work to restore it in bronze began in 1993. The restored statue’s inauguration ceremony was held in 2002. A pavilion was built over it in 2009. It is currently the tallest statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva in Malaysia and weighs 420 t.
The Bodhisattva wears a shawl over a high topknot fronted with a Buddha and stands on a double-layered lotus pedestal. The left hand is raised in the lotus mudra while the lowered right hand holds a vase. The plainness of the clothing is offset by its numerous folds that whirl as if blown by the wind.
The ornate octagonal pavilion is supported by 16 engraved pillars and with colorful figures about the edge of the canopy.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M, page 529.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Lovelock, Yann and Chou, Yuan and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M},
pages = 529,
title = {{Kek Lok Si Temple: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva}},
volume = 11,
year = {2016}}