Potala Palace: Embroidery of Maitreya Buddha

CHINA, Tibet, Lhasa

Maitreya Buddha has a high usnisa and a crown decorated with ribbons hanging down and flying at the sides. Long hair falls over the shoulders, and the Buddha has a round face, thin eyes, curved eyebrows, and long earlobes with earrings attached. The chest is bare and the shoulders are covered with a stole that hangs down over the lower body. Various jewelry adorns the body, and there is a jeweled chain around the abdomen. The lower body is covered in a bright red dhoti. Both hands hold the long stems of a lotus, which extend upward on each side. The lotus on the left contains a miniature Dharma wheel and the one on the right holds a vase.
The Buddha sits in full lotus position upon a multi-color lotus throne. The nimbus is green with a rainbow effect along the edge, and the mandorla is dark blue with fine golden light rays together with a rainbow around the edge. Where the nimbus and mandorla meet, there are green and red leaves. The sun and moon shine brightly among fine-line clouds.
This embroidery is evenly balanced with a focus on the central image of Maitreya Buddha. The use of color is highly effective and is a distinctive feature of this vibrant work.