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Eleven-Headed Avalokitesvara
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Eleven-Headed Avalokitesvara
CHINA; Tang dynasty (618–907); Gilt bronze; H: 27.4 cm; Shanghai Museum, China
The Bodhisattva's heads are clustered around the five-leaf crown. Framing them is an openwork circular nimbus shaped like a wheel with a petal-shaped exterior decorated with vine-like designs. The figure stands in a slightly tribhanga posture with the raised right hand holding a willow branch and the left a vase. A few pieces of jewelry adorn the body, as well as a sacred thread and a long stole that cascades past the pedestal. The pedestal itself is a half sphere and is balanced on top of a reversed lotus platform that in turn rests on a hollow stand. |
