Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in Water Moon Form (Shuiyue Guanyin)

11th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 208
After the tenth century, one of the more prominent representations of Avalokiteshvara shows the bodhisattva seated with the right knee raised and the left leg crossed before the body. The posture represents the Water Moon manifestation, understood as a depiction of the divinity in his Pure Land, or personal paradise. Known as Mount Potalaka, Avalokiteshvara’s Pure Land was originally thought to be located on an island somewhere south of India. By the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), this mythical paradise had been identified with Mount Putuo, an island off the east coast province of Zhejiang, and had become an important pilgrimage site.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 遼 彩繪木雕水月觀音菩薩像(柳木胎)
  • Title: Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in Water Moon Form (Shuiyue Guanyin)
  • Period: Liao dynasty (907–1125)
  • Date: 11th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Wood (willow) with traces of pigment; multiple-woodblock construction
  • Dimensions: H. 46 1/2 in. (118.1 cm); W. 37 1/2 in. (95.3 cm); D. 28 in. (71.1 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1928
  • Object Number: 28.56
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.