 |
Xiude Temple: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
|
| |
|
Xiude Temple: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
CHINA, Hebei, Baoding; Eastern Wei dynasty (534–550), dated 543; Commissioned by Yang Huiluo; Marble; H: 50 cm; Palace Museum, Beijing, China
The sculpture was excavated from Xiude Temple. The Bodhisattva stands on an inverted lotus pedestal and carries a lotus bud. A petal-shaped mandorla is located behind the figure. The Bodhisattva wears an ornate headdress and a long beaded ornament that loops over the skirt. The long stole the figure wears falls below the pedestal. The small, rounded shoulders of the figure is a transitional style from the Northern Wei (386–534) to the Eastern Wei (534–550) dynasty.
The rectangular base features a bas-relief of a pair of lions on either side of a deity who carries a censer. The inscription on the back of the base names the dedication by the devotee Yang Huiluo in 543. |
