Avalokiteshvara in a Multiarmed Tantric Form
This esoteric form of Avalokiteshvara holds a range of attributes in his twenty-four hands, including the sun, the moon, a vajra, and a bell. Multiarmed, powerful tantric forms of Avalokiteshvara were introduced into East Asia by the monk Amoghavajra as part of an eighth-century effort to repel Tibet’s military expansion across Central Asia. Later, this protective form of Avalokiteshvara, who is able to aid his numerous devotees with his many arms, became especially popular in Tibet after the north Indian monk Atisha (980–1054) emphasized this tantric deity.
Artwork Details
- Title: Avalokiteshvara in a Multiarmed Tantric Form
- Period: Dali kingdom (938–1253)
- Date: 11th–12th century
- Culture: China, Yunnan Province
- Medium: Gilt arsenical bronze
- Dimensions: H. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm); W. 7 in. (17.8 cm); D. 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1956
- Object Number: 56.223
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Western Tibet or Ladakh
14th century
Central Tibet
12th century
China
dated 1282
Nepal
11th century
Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)
dated August 12, 1105
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