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Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

late 8th–early 9th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Eight-armed Avalokiteshvara was a favored type during the eighth century in the peninsula, Sumatra, and central Java. This exemplary casting of the Bodhisattva of Compassion was probably a royal commission. The Ligor inscription, dated 775, records that Dharmasetu, a ruler of Srivijaya, dedicated several temples in the region and installed important cult images within. This work may be associated with his patronage. The iconography of the great bronze from Perak, Malaysia (cat. no. 157), may serve as a guide to the original attributes of this example.

cat. no. 166

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
  • Date: late 8th–early 9th century
  • Culture: Southern Thailand
  • Medium: Copper alloy with traces of gilding
  • Dimensions: H. 30 1/4 in. (76.7 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by National Museum, Bangkok (SV24)
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art