Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

CHINA; Ming dynasty

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva sits with hands clasped below the knee of the raised left leg. The peaceful Bodhisattva wears an exquisite headdress and a necklace. Ribbons on the headdress flutter in the breeze. The delicate monastic robe rests in curving folds on the ground below the Bodhisattva. On the left, there is a liuli glass bowl containing a vase and a willow branch. Sudhana stands in the lower left corner, facing the Bodhisattva with palms joined in reverence. Above the figures, trees grow from the side of a cliff, and a white bird flies through the sky. Below, waves churn against the rocks. The elegant, bright figures contrast with the dark, carefully painted landscape.