Bodhisattvas in Contemplation

CHINA; Northern Qi dynasty

The mirror-images of two Bodhisattvas sit enthroned in this complex sculpture. They are in the “pensive pose,” with one leg crossed over the knee. The figures are situated between two tree trunks, with two smaller Bodhisattvas on either side, one of which is now missing. Dragons appear at the top of the composition on either side of an ornate stupa. A dome-shaped mandorla is created from the enlaced foliage of the trees, upon which six apsaras stand out in relief. There is a mountain censer at the bottom of the composition supported by an earth deity and flanked by two lions and two Heavenly Kings. There are two inscriptions at the back of the sculpture; one dates the dedication of the statue by the villagers of Liu to 565; the second is dated 1516. Paired images of Bodhisattvas in compositions such as this are rare in Northern Qi statuary.