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Java: Head of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
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Java: Head of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
INDONESIA, Central Java; 9th century; Andesite; H: 31.1 cm; Art Institute of Chicago, USA
This sculpture was unearthed from Central Java. The figure wears a circlet fronted by Amitabha Buddha, which identifies the figure as Avalokitesvara. The hair is braided into a tall topknot that is shaped like a rounded stupa with a finial, on which another seated Buddha is set into a niche. The face has a wide forehead, broad cheeks, expressive mouth and eyes cast down, giving it the serene, contemplative expression typically seen in Javanese Buddhist sculptures. The elongated earlobes are hollowed, as if to wear heavy earrings. |
