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Maitreya Bodhisattva
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Maitreya Bodhisattva
MONGOLIA; Late 17th century; Gilt bronze; H: 62.4 cm; Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Maitreya stands with feet apart on a simplified lotus pedestal that rests on a square openwork base. Incorporated onto the pedestal is an open aureole with a flaming rim that progresses upward to a similarly patterned oval nimbus. The mounded topknot of the figure is decorated with a stupa at the front and ornamented with a crest jewel. The slim Bodhisattva has the right hand lifted in vitarka (teaching) mudra while holding a vase in the left hand. A sacred thread hangs down from the left shoulder to thigh level, where a nearly transparent lower garment, diagonally overhung by a belt, outlines the legs. The slight tilt of the waist causes it to flutter to the right. |
