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Waterfall Avalokitesvara
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Waterfall Avalokitesvara
CHINA; Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279); Wood; H: 88 cm; Seiunji Temple, Kanagawa, Japan
This sculpture, from the Chinese Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), is now enshrined at Seiunji Temple in Japan. It was listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1998.
The fact the statue is situated between waterfalls is its distinguishing characteristic. Avalokitesvara sits in a variation of the relaxation posture with leg raised on a rock and the other leg overhanging it. The tilted head supports a large intricate headdress with side-pieces hanging down. The sculpture is assembled from various pieces of wood and the eyes are inlaid with black stone. The mixture of raised and incised patterns depicting the folds on the robe is noteworthy, particularly the spiral pattern at the waist. The somewhat leisurely posture was adopted from the Late Tang period (846–907). |
