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Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Triad
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Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Triad
CHINA; Northern Qi dynasty (550–577), dated 570; Gilt bronze; H: 23.5 cm;Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, USA
Avalokitesvara wears an elaborate three-leaf crown with an Amitabha image in front. The raised and lowered hands are disproportionate to the body. The lotus nimbus is enclosed by an aureole as well as a mandorla in the shape of a lotus petal with a beaded outer rim. The figure standing on a lotus pedestal wears stoles that loop twice above the knees. Two lotus blossoms extend from the pedestal to support slightly smaller attendants with hands in the anjali (reverence) mudra. The inscription on the square stand states the sculpture was created in 570 under imperial order as part of a set of ten items, testimony to the significance of the piece. |
