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Yemar Monastery Amoghadarsana Hall: Maitreya Bodhisattvas
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Yemar Monastery Amoghadarsana Hall: Maitreya Bodhisattvas
CHINA, Tibet, Shigatse; 11th–12th century; Clay; H: 230 cm
The five figures of Maitreya Bodhisattva are located in the Amoghadarsana Hall at Yemar Monastery. The figures have curled hair tied in topknots, rounded faces, high and slender eyebrows above downcast eyes, and straight pointed noses. They wear long, loose sleeved gowns that appear light-weight, and are sculpted in thin, densely draped lines using a special technique associated with the styles of the Dunhuang and Khotan caves. The hands, now damaged, are positioned at the chest. All the sculptures have circular nimbuses depicted with flames at the top, lotuses in the inner ring, and patterns of string beads and scrolls at the outer ring. The figures are seated on a stone bench with their legs pendent, a posture usually associated with Maitreya. These Bodhisattvas were created in the new local style that integrates features from the Indian Pala period (circa 8th–12th century) and Central Asian styles. |
