Drepung Monastery Central Hall: Manjusri Bodhisattva
Gilt copper alloy
Drepung Monastery Central Hall: Manjusri Bodhisattva
CHINA, Tibet, Lhasa
This 2.5 m high statue of Manjusri Bodhisattva is enshrined in the central hall of the Drepung Monastery. The Bodhisattva is depicted with stylized curly blue hair and a five-leaf crown that has ribbons extending outwards and banners hanging from it. The Bodhisattva has a wide forehead where the prominent urna is visibly above the arched eyebrows. Other facial features include large eyes, a straight nose, pursed lips, and a square chin. White ceremonial scarves obscure the mudra that the figure makes. The figure is seated on a high platform, in front of an ornate mandorla with a garuda guarding the apex and numerous other mythical creatures, including makaras at the sides. The mandorla is partly in relief and partly in repoussé.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture A-F, page 303.
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 = 303,
title = {{Drepung Monastery Central Hall: Manjusri Bodhisattva}},
volume = 10,
year = {2016}}