Yungang Grottoes: Seated Bodhisattvas

CHINA, Shanxi, Datong; Northern Wei dynasty

These two Bodhisattvas, originally from the Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi, are similar in style. They sit in a straight posture with legs crossed at the ankles at the base of the seat and look directly outward with a welcoming smile. Both statues are dressed in stoles that cover the shoulders and hang downward to cross at the lap. The legs below are sharply outlined through the thin skirt. The 146 cm high figure with long plaited hair wears a crown ornamented with a cross-legged Buddha within a triangular niche. The left hand rests on the knee while the damaged right hand is presumably raised in the abhaya (fearlessness) mudra. The depiction of the robe is particularly detailed in this figure. The 129 cm high Bodhisattva sits in a similar posture and wears an unadorned crown.