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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 Lokeshvara, the “lord that holds the lotus.” Like the lotus, which rises from its murky bed below the water to blossom in the pristine 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-sixth century, Avalokiteshvara was one of the most popular Buddhist deities in the Kathmandu Valley. Demand for images of this auspicious bodhisattva was great and from an early period, craftsmen throughout the valley were executing works in wood, stone, paint, and bronze. The deity is nearly always depicted standing, in contrast to the Indian tradition of showing him seated. The style is further characterized by the lithe form of the body and the swaying hips, with the head tilted to the side, resulting in a graceful curvilinear form. The dhoti billows in voluminous folds between the legs and is secured across the thighs with a loosely-draped sash, while the sacred thread hangs from the shoulder across the torso and thighs.
The sculpture of the early Malla period, starting from the second half of the twelfth century through the fifteenth century, is characterized by pronounced musculature and elaborate ornamentation. Images of Padmapani Lokeshvara, in particular, have wider and more rounded thighs and broader shoulders. The face of the present example, however, is closely related to a bronze figure of Padmapani Lokeshvara at the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc. no. IM.239-1922), dated to the fourteenth century; both share large hoop earrings, pronounced arching brows, and elongated foliate diadems and chignons.
Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org), item no. 24503.
Worshipped in Nepal from at least the mid-sixth century, Avalokiteshvara was one of the most popular Buddhist deities in the Kathmandu Valley. Demand for images of this auspicious bodhisattva was great and from an early period, craftsmen throughout the valley were executing works in wood, stone, paint, and bronze. The deity is nearly always depicted standing, in contrast to the Indian tradition of showing him seated. The style is further characterized by the lithe form of the body and the swaying hips, with the head tilted to the side, resulting in a graceful curvilinear form. The dhoti billows in voluminous folds between the legs and is secured across the thighs with a loosely-draped sash, while the sacred thread hangs from the shoulder across the torso and thighs.
The sculpture of the early Malla period, starting from the second half of the twelfth century through the fifteenth century, is characterized by pronounced musculature and elaborate ornamentation. Images of Padmapani Lokeshvara, in particular, have wider and more rounded thighs and broader shoulders. The face of the present example, however, is closely related to a bronze figure of Padmapani Lokeshvara at the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc. no. IM.239-1922), dated to the fourteenth century; both share large hoop earrings, pronounced arching brows, and elongated foliate diadems and chignons.
Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org), item no. 24503.