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Lot Essay
Avalokiteshvara, the "Lord who looks upon the World," is the bodhisattva of compassion, and one of the principle deities in Mahayana Buddhism. Although he has attained enlightenment like the Buddha, the bodhisattva forgoes his escape from the suffering of rebirth to act as a guide to all living beings until they themselves have achieved nirvana. Worshipped in many guises, here he is depicted as Padmapani, the "holder of the lotus." Like the lotus, which rises from its murky bed below the water to blossom in the air, Padmapani has detached himself from the pain and impurities of the material world and is enlightened in body, speech, and mind.
Worshipped in Nepal from at least the mid-6th century, Avalokiteshvara was one of the most popular Buddhist deities in the Kathmandu Valley, his worship rivaling that of the Buddha himself. With time, the compassionate characteristics of Avalokiteshvara became intertwined with the attributes of the local Nepalese deities such as the rain god, Bunga-dyo, and even the Brahmanical Shiva, and the customs for worship of these different gods were integrated into one another. Demand for images of this auspicious bodhisattva was therefore staggering, and from an early period, craftsmen throughout the valley were executing works in wood, stone, paint, and bronze. A distinct Newari style of representation emerged from this locus of fervent worship, influenced initially by the Gupta dynasty and later, as seen in this work, the Pala dynasty of Northeastern India. The deity is almost always depicted standing, in contrast to the post-Guptan Indian tradition of showing him seated. The style is further characterized by the lithe form of the body and the gracefully swaying hips. The folds of the dhoti, simply patterned with stippling, hang between the legs and are secured diagonally across the hips with a sash, while the sacred thread extends almost to the knee.
Representations of Padmapani in Nepal remained consistent in style for several centuries. This work was dated to the 14th century through careful comparison with positively dated in situ bronzes, and is of extraordinary fine execution.
Worshipped in Nepal from at least the mid-6th century, Avalokiteshvara was one of the most popular Buddhist deities in the Kathmandu Valley, his worship rivaling that of the Buddha himself. With time, the compassionate characteristics of Avalokiteshvara became intertwined with the attributes of the local Nepalese deities such as the rain god, Bunga-dyo, and even the Brahmanical Shiva, and the customs for worship of these different gods were integrated into one another. Demand for images of this auspicious bodhisattva was therefore staggering, and from an early period, craftsmen throughout the valley were executing works in wood, stone, paint, and bronze. A distinct Newari style of representation emerged from this locus of fervent worship, influenced initially by the Gupta dynasty and later, as seen in this work, the Pala dynasty of Northeastern India. The deity is almost always depicted standing, in contrast to the post-Guptan Indian tradition of showing him seated. The style is further characterized by the lithe form of the body and the gracefully swaying hips. The folds of the dhoti, simply patterned with stippling, hang between the legs and are secured diagonally across the hips with a sash, while the sacred thread extends almost to the knee.
Representations of Padmapani in Nepal remained consistent in style for several centuries. This work was dated to the 14th century through careful comparison with positively dated in situ bronzes, and is of extraordinary fine execution.