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Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion

ca. late 7th–first half of the 8th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 242
The early history of Sri Lanka is intimately linked to that of India. In particular, Buddhism, which first reached Sri Lanka in the third century B.C., profoundly shaped the art and culture of this island nation.

This small bronze, representing Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion, shares the physical proportions, sensuous plasticity, and exquisite modeling that characterize the sculpture of southern India in the seventh century. The deity's narrow face and elongated nose, however, attest to the work's Sinhalese origins.

Avalokiteshvara is seated in a posture of royal ease on a square throne with right leg raised and foot placed on top of the pedestal. The left leg is pendant, the foot resting on a small projecting element. Identified by the small—in this case, abraded—figure of a Buddha in his headdress, Avalokiteshvara is dressed in a long dhoti and wears the sacred thread across his chest.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion
  • Period: Anuradhapura period
  • Date: ca. late 7th–first half of the 8th century
  • Culture: Sri Lanka
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: H. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); W. 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm); D. 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Samuel Eilenberg Collection, Gift of Samuel Eilenberg, in memory of Carneg Kevorkian, 1987
  • Object Number: 1987.142.65
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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Buddha Offering Protection, Copper alloy with gilding, Sri Lanka, central plateau
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Bodhisattva, probably Avalokiteshvara, Bronze with high tin content, Sri Lanka
Bodhisattva, probably Avalokiteshvara
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Buddha Expounding the Dharma, Copper alloy, Sri Lanka (Anuradhapura)
Buddha Expounding the Dharma
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Avalokiteshvara, The Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion, Bronze, Sri Lanka
Avalokiteshvara, The Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion
Sri Lanka
ca. 9th century
Jambhala, God of Riches, Copper alloy, Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura
Jambhala, God of Riches
Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura
9th–10th century

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