Seated Bodhisattva

PAKISTAN

The statue was most likely from the Swat region. It was cast as a single unit and never gilded. The unidentified Bodhisattva is seated in full lotus position on a lotus throne. The top section of the lotus throne is smaller than the bottom section, which is a stylistic feature of statues from the Swat region. The Bodhisattva’s three-leaf crown is worn about a mounded usnisa and is adorned with a crescent-shaped moon. The style of the monastic robe that covers both shoulders is inherited from the Gandhara style with the dense folds adapting themselves to the sturdy body. The right hand opens in the varada (wish-granting) mudra while the left hand is lifted and cupped holding the robe.