Maitreya Bodhisattva

CHINA; Qing dynasty

The compassionate Maitreya sits in a full lotus position upon a double lotus throne. The head is inclined to one side, following the rhythmic curve of the body from the waist. The figure wears a five-leaf crown inlaid with five gems, from beneath which long locks of hair fall over the shoulders. Round ornaments hang from the ears and other gemmed pieces fall over the torso. The shoulders are draped with a stole that wraps around the arms before flowing over the sides of the pedestal. The lowered right hand is held in varada (wish-granting) mudra, while the left holds a branch of the dragon flower tree. On the branch are three flowers, one withered, one blossoming, and one in bud, symbolizing past, present and future. Supported upon the flowers is another of the Bodhisattva’s attributes, a Dharma wheel. Between the eyebrows and on the hands and feet are reliefs of an eye, representing the Bodhisattva’s ability to perceive the suffering of the human world.
The sculpture resembles statues offered to Tibetan spiritual leaders by Chinese Emperors during the 15th century, but this piece is thought to have been manufactured during the early Qing dynasty (1644–1911) as a gift to a monastery in Tibet.