Bodhisattva in Contemplation
Gilt bronze
Bodhisattva in Contemplation
KOREA; Silla dynasty
It is known from unearthed records that the Bodhisattva in contemplation was widely revered from the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–668 CE) onwards into the Unified Silla dynasty (668–935).
This statue depicts a variation of the contemplative Bodhisattva in a naturalistic way. Usually the head glances down and is supported by two fingers at the jaw, but in this case, the head is so bowed that the features are almost hidden. Other details are more traditional such as the relaxation posture of the figure and the pendent leg supported by a lotus. The long skirt overhangs the seat in stylized folds that is a feature of the Silla dynasty (57 BCE–935 CE).
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture A-F, page 173.
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 A-F},
pages = 173,
title = {{Bodhisattva in Contemplation}},
volume = 10,
year = {2016}}