Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara

CHINA; Southern Song dynasty

Depictions and descriptions of Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara were brought into China by Indian monks in the 7th century. Soon after, Chinese portrayals of the Bodhisattva began to appear. As Avalokitesvara is known for boundless compassion, the Bodhisattva was venerated by those seeking relief from pain and suffering.
This 12th century painting depicts Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva standing on a beautifully detailed lotus pedestal supported by the Four Heavenly Kings. Avalokitesvara has 32 heads arranged in six tiers. Each face has three eyes and wears a crown. Long blue hair flows over the shoulders. A green stole is draped over one pair of arms and hangs down beside the feet. There are 18 hands in front of the body and 982 hands within the huge petal-shaped mandorla. An eye is painted in the middle of each palm. The hands form a mudra or hold objects such as bells, vajras, lotuses, Buddha images, moon discs, and Dharma wheels, as well as the Twelve Zodiac Signs.
Buddhas sit on clouds in the upper register. Two Bodhisattvas stand on either side of the lotus pedestal. Candraprabha and a Bodhisattva holding a sword are on the left; Suryaprabha and a Bodhisattva holding a bell are on the right. The Eight Classes of Dharma Protectors are arranged in two groups at the bottom of the picture. A dragon king in the form of an elderly man accompanied by a dragon, a gandharva holding a pipa, a kinnara with a horn on the forehead, and a fierce yaksa with red skin stand on the left. On the right, there is a crowned heavenly being holding a scepter, a winged garuda, a Wisdom King holding a sun and a moon disc, and an armored warrior. The picture is finely detailed and elegantly colored. Great care was taken to depict each of the thousand arms and eyes, giving Avalokitesvara a striking appearance.