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Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

8th–early 9th century
Not on view
This four-armed Avalokiteshvara exemplifies the finest qualities associated with the pan-Asian cult of the savior bodhisattva. Through its grace and humanism, the work embodies the qualities of compassion central to Buddhist ethics. It may have been made in Sumatra or in the Malay Peninsula, regions linked by commercial activity in which religious imagery could readily circulate. Chinese pilgrim sources tell of major monasteries that prospered in both areas.

cat. no. 158

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
  • Date: 8th–early 9th century
  • Culture: Southern Thailand or Sumatra
  • Medium: Copper alloy
  • Dimensions: H. 22 1/4 in. (56.6 cm); W. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm); D. 5 in. (12.7 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1982
  • Object Number: 1982.64
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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