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Maitreya Bodhisattva
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Maitreya Bodhisattva
CHINA; Qing dynasty (1644–1911); Gilt copper alloy; H: 27 cm; National Museum of China, Beijing
s of the pedestal. The lowered right hand is held in varada (wish-granting) mudra, while the left holds a branch of the dragon flower tree. On the branch are three flowers, one withered, one blossoming, and one in bud, symbolizing past, present and future. Supported upon the flowers is another of the Bodhisattva’s attributes, a Dharma wheel. Between the eyebrows and on the hands and feet are reliefs of an eye, representing the Bodhisattva’s ability to perceive the suffering of the human world.
The sculpture resembles statues offered to Tibetan spiritual leaders by Chinese Emperors during the 15th century, but this piece is thought to have been manufactured during the early Qing dynasty (1644–1911) as a gift to a monastery in Tibet. |
