Sudhana (Shancai Tongzi)

1641

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 216

On loan to The Met

This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.

This life-size statue portrays the pilgrim Sudhana, who traveled afar to study with learned masters and celestial bodhisattvas in his quest for enlightenment; he is typically shown venerating Guanyin, also known as Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. The inscription on the lotus pedestal states that the statue was cast in the imperial workshop for the Ming court in the xinsi year of the Chongzhen reign, corresponding to 1641, just three years before the dynasty’s fall. Three other statues of different Buddhist icons bearing the same inscription are known to survive, indicating that this figure was part of a much larger altar group. The magnificent craftsmanship and grand scale represent the finale of imperial Ming bronze production.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

明崇禎御用監造銅鎏金善財童子
Title: Sudhana (Shancai Tongzi)
Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Date: 1641
Culture: China
Medium: Gilt copper alloy
Dimensions: H. 43 in. (109.2 cm); W. 21 in. (53.3 cm); D. 20 in. (50.8 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Art Properties, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, Arthur M. Sackler Collections
Object Number: L.2025.31a, b
Curatorial Department: Asian Art