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Avalokitesvara with a Fish Basket
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Avalokitesvara with a Fish Basket
CHINA; Ming dynasty (1368-1644); Attributed to Zhao Mengfu; Ink and color on silk; 122.6 x 61.3 cm; National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
Images of Avalokitesvara with a Fish Basket, one of the Thirty-Three Manifestations of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, first began to appear during the early Ming dynasty. The seal imprint on this image is that of Zhao Mengfu, a Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) artist known for his use of fine brushstrokes, which would make this one of the earliest depictions of the Bodhisattva in this form. However, the thick lines used to paint the folds in the robe suggest that this painting is possibly a copy. Avalokitesvara, wearing a white robe and straw shoes, stands holding a bamboo basket containing fish in the left hand and prayer beads in the right. The face and hands are drawn with fine lines, and the robe is simply depicted with sweeping strokes. |
