Accession Number
1961/2.81

Title
Bodhisattva, attendant figure from a larger Buddha shrine

Artist(s)
Chinese

Artist Nationality
Chinese (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
618-907

Medium & Support
gilt bronze

Dimensions
3 15/16 in. x 1 1/4 in. x 1 1/8 in. ( 10 cm x 3.2 cm x 2.8 cm )

Credit Line
Museum purchase for the James Marshall Plumer Memorial Collection

Label copy
Kuan Yin, the Lotus Bearer, holds a lotus bud in his right hand. The lotus bud, because it emerges from muddy water, signifies Buddha's purity. In his left hand, he holds a "kalasa", or flask, which holds an elixir of immortality called "amrita", representing long life. Called Avalokitesvara in the Indian traditon, Kuan Yin is The Lord Looking Down with Compassion.

Subject matter
A bodhisattva (a "wisdom being" in Mahayana Buddhism), orginally part of a larger altarpiece.

Primary Object Classification
Sculpture

Primary Object Type
altarpiece

Additional Object Classification(s)
Ritual Object

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
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Keywords
Buddhism
altarpieces
bodhisattva
flames
lotus (motif)
miniature (size attribute)