Avalokiteshvara Gilt copper with polychromy Nepal

Acquired 1973/74

Very good overall condition. Traces of cold gold on face. Accretion and loss to gilding throughout. Flaming halo and upper crown element bent forward slightly, as visible in catalogue illustration. Water vessel in left hand not original.
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Standing upright in graceful abhanga posture, Avalokiteshvara wears a three-leaf crown surmounted by a jewel ornament with floral motif, fastened at the back of the head with a small clasp, the head encircled with a flaming aureole (now slightly bent forward), the hair piled into a high, stylized jatamukata with curls cascading down both shoulders, the broad forehead with finely shaped eyebrows over downcast eyes, the face with serene expression, the aquiline nose above a bow-shaped mouth, the elongated earlobes ornamented with the heavy earrings of a bodhisattva, the neck marked with the three folds of beauty and adorned with necklaces, the arms with armlets and bracelets, the left hand extended in varadamudra and delicately incised, the right hand clasping a (later) water vessel, the incised dhoti with delicate striated pattern secured at the narrow waist with a clasp ornament and sash tied at the left thigh, standing atop a small lotus platform incised with pod and seeds.

The current work was cast at the beginning of the Transitional periods in Nepal in the 9^th/10^th Century. Dr. Pratapaditya Pal notes that "although the Transitional period was not as prolific in stone sculpture as the Lichchhavi period (400-879 CE), certainly the finest surviving bronzes were created during the Transitional period," (P. Pal, Art of Nepal, Berkeley, 1985, p. 18). The legacy of post-Gupta figuration is apparent in the sensitive treatment of the bodhisattva, particularly the sensuous modeling of the face and physiognomy.

Traces of cold gold on the face of the sculpture and remnants of blue polychrome in the hair suggest that the sculpture left Nepal for Tibet at some point in its history, where it was painted and gilt for veneration in the classic Tibetan style. Ulrich von Schroeder notes that prior to enshrinement in Tibet, sculptures such as these "were perhaps in ritual use for many centuries, resulting in the wearing away almost entirely of the fire gilding to reveal a shiny lustrous brownish surface. However, the visible [accretion throughout] is an indication that [sculptures such as these] have not been handled for quite some time ... Out of fear that the cold gilding might be damaged, monks in Tibetan monasteries abstain from unnecessary touching painted statues," (U. von Schroeder, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet: Vol. I, Hong Kong, 2001, p. 444). Additionally, the smoothness of the torso and upper back of the sculpture; the absence of trace fire gilding in this area; as well as the shiny lustrous brownish surface of this area support the suggestion of extensive handling and ritual use. The water vessel in the left hand appears to be a later addition to the sculpture, likely replaced when the sculpture arrived in Tibet. Supporting this theory are the remnants of extant fire gilding on the vessel, which suggest that this addition was not regularly handled after its marriage to the original sculpture. Similarly, the corresponding accretion on the vessel suggests its association with the original sculpture for a number of centuries without regularly handling or cleaning.

Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, is also known as the six-syllable bodhisattva. The mantra of Avalokiteshvara, om mani padma hum, expresses the pith of the Mahayana teachings, which pays homage to the jewel (mani) of genuine compassion within all beings. The water vessel in the bodhisattva's left hand symbolizes Avalokiteshvara's great vow to allay the emotional thirst and cleanse the karmic defilements of beings. 

For comparable 9th/10th Century Nepalese bodhisattvas, see P. Pal, The Arts of Nepal, Leiden, 1974, pl. 190; and also Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Beijing, 1992, p. 83, pl. 55.