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The Bodhisattva Padmapani Lokeshvara

11th–12th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 252
Padmapani (“The Lotus-Bearer”) stands majestically, his lowered hand in the boon-granting gesture (varadamudra) while his raised hand holds the stem of a white lotus (padma) that blooms above his shoulder, serving to invoke the purity of Buddhist thought. Padmapani is finely dressed and bejeweled, as befits a savior prince. Flowers decorate his waist cloth, secured with a jeweled belt. Settings indicate where gems once adorned him. The stylization of the figure is a reminder that the artist responsible was strictly following ritual manuals of design (citrasastras). Superb modeling, imposing scale, and majestic bearing combine to create one of the greatest Nepalese Buddhist sculptures known.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Bodhisattva Padmapani Lokeshvara
  • Period: Thakuri periods
  • Date: 11th–12th century
  • Culture: Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
  • Medium: Copper alloy with gilding and semiprecious stones
  • Dimensions: H. 23 in. (58.4 cm); W. 10 1/2 in. (25.7 cm); D. 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Bequests of Mary Clarke Thompson, Fanny Shapiro, Susan Dwight Bliss, Isaac D. Fletcher, William Gedney Beatty, John L. Cadwalader and Kate Read Blacque, Gifts of Mrs. Samuel T. Peters, Ida H. Ogilvie, Samuel T. Peters and H. R. Bishop, F. C. Bishop and O. M. Bishop, Rogers, Seymour and Fletcher Funds, and other gifts, funds and bequests from various donors, by exchange, 1982
  • Object Number: 1982.220.2
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

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Tara, the Buddhist Savior, Gilt copper alloy with color and semiprecious stone inlay, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
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Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
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Vishnu, Copper alloy with gilding, Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)
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Shiva Seated with Parvati
Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)
11th century
The Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future, Copper alloy with gilding and color, Nepal
The Bodhisattva Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future
Nepal
11th century
Acala, The Buddhist Protector, Distemper and gold on cloth, Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
Acala, The Buddhist Protector
Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
equivalent to February / March 1322

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