Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

CHINA; Northern Wei dynasty

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva holding a lotus stem is one of the earliest iconographic depictions found among gilt bronze Avalokitesvara statues in China. This particular figure is wearing a headdress upon lightly indicated hair. The short upper body wears a collar necklace and has a stole wrapped around it. The right arm is raised to carry a long-stalked lotus bud while the lowered left hand holds a vase. The figure stands barefoot upon a four-legged stand, carved with scrolled clouds and triangular geometric patterns at the top. A mandorla with stylized flames enclosing a lotus-pattern nimbus is behind the figure. An inscription on the reverse side of the stand states the sculpture was commissioned in 484 by Ding Zhu who dedicated it to his father and 16 family members, in the hope that their hearts would always be with the Buddha.