Seated Bodhisattva

NEPAL; Malla dynasty

The figure is seated in half lotus position with the right hand in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra and the left resting on the knee. The Bodhisattva wears a five-leaf crown with floral ornaments and a jewel at its apex. Ribbons flutter on either side of the head with their tips inlaid with gems, as are the rest of the figure’s jewelry. The head is inclined forward and the three lines are visible on the neck. A sacred thread hangs over the bare torso and leaves decorate the sides of the belt about the waist.
An antelope skin wrapped around the left forearm and the remnants of a lotus stalk on that arm have led experts to identify the statue as Avalokitesvara.