Kyikhar Monastery: Maitreya Bodhisattva

CHINA, Tibet, Qamdo

Maitreya Bodhisattva sits in a wide legged position upon a Sumeru throne from which the feet hang down to rest on a lotus pedestal. The figure’s head inclines to one side while the hands are held in the Dharmacakra (Dharma wheel) mudra. From the gap between the thumb and forefinger of both hands, long-stalked lotuses wind their way up the arm to blossom at the shoulders. The lotuses support the Bodhisattva’s attributes; a Dharma wheel and a vase. An ornate, five-leaf crown with gemmed floral crests frames the head. The brightly colored hair is piled into a conical usnisa and is topped by a stupa. Long locks also fall to cover the shoulders. The serious face appears slightly disproportioned on the neck, which has the three lines of a great person.