Description
Though diminutive, this image conveys a monumental power through the intense expression particular to Kashmiri art. He sits alert in yogic concentration on a lotus pedestal that exists miraculously in a rocky wilderness. His left hand holds the stem of a lotus flower—the main attribute of this bodhisattva of compassion. His generously sized right hand with fleshy palm is in the gift-giving gesture. The tiny figure of Amitabha, the Buddha who sits in meditation in his crown, identifies the image as Avalokiteshvara.
Provenance
(Spink & Son, Ltd., London, England, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?–1971); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1971–)
Accession Number
1971.20
Medium
bronze with silver overlay
Dimensions
Overall: 11.5 cm (4 1/2 in.); Base: 6.3 cm (2 1/2 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Credit Line
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund