Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of Compassion, is one of the most worshipped gods in Buddhism. Countless images of him have been sculpted, casted and painted.
Especially the Newari bronze casters of the early Malla period (circa A.D. 1200-1479) were masters in transmitting the character of a god into a three-dimensional form.
The bronze under discussion with its elongated legs, standing slightly apart from each other, the soft movement of the body, the slightly bent head with its soft features and downcast expression reflects the concept of Compassion to its highest extent. Compared with the bronze Maitreya (lot 70), it has a less sturdy appearance, is less decorated and a shorter dhoti, with sashes falling down with greater movement. Even its face is depicted with softer features. All these elements enable us to date this delightful bronze to the late 13th century, and probably casted more or less a century earlier than the Maitreya figure (lot 70).

See colour illustration