Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

KOREA; Goryeo dynasty

Buddhism prospered in Korea during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). Central to worship were painted images of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, especially those of Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. Devotees of the Pure Land school produced large quantities of such images. Avalokitesvara, facing the viewer with a serene expression, wears a crown decorated with a Buddha image and stands on two lotus pedestals. A mustache is painted above the upper lip and there is a small beard on the chin. A transparent white robe reveals an elaborate garment, ornaments, and jewels. The left hand clasps the wrist of the right hand, which holds a string of prayer beads. Above the Bodhisattva, the Great Compassion Dharani is written in gold ink against a brown background, an example of the synergy between the written word and visual image in the Buddhist art of Korea.