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Potala Palace: Maitreya Bodhisattva
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Potala Palace: Maitreya Bodhisattva
CHINA, Tibet, Lhasa; 17th century; Gilt copper alloy; H: 45 cm
This 17th century sculpture wears a conical usnisa topped with an ornamental finial surrounded by a five-leaf crown. The figure stands in the tribhanga posture. The hands form mudras and hold long-stalked lotuses that flower at shoulder level. They support a vase on the left and a horizontally pivoted Dharma wheel on the right. The torso is bare but for some jewelry and a thin stole. A waist band is decorated with an intricately-beaded ornament that falls to the thighs and secures the skirt below. The form-fitting skirt sways outward in three waves from clearly delineated limbs. |
