Bodhisattva as the lotus-bearer Padmapani was a favored form of Avalokiteshvara, the embodiment of Buddhist compassion. His identifiers are the lotus (padma) held in his left hand, and the small figure of the Buddha Amitabha atop his head. In this early representation, he sits in royal ease, with one leg pendant and a hand poised as if gesturing contemplation. The antelope skin over his shoulder is a reminder of his ascetic nature, akin to Shiva.
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Artwork Details
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Title:Avalokiteshvara Padmapani
Date:7th century
Culture:Pakistan (Swat Valley)
Medium:Bronze inlaid with silver and copper
Dimensions:H. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm); W. 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm); D. 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm)
Classification:Metalwork
Credit Line:Harris Brisbane Dick and Fletcher Funds, 1974
Object Number:1974.273
Inscription: inscription on lotus petals surrounding base:
11/9/88 Prof. B.N. Mukherjei read the inscription preliminarly as: (deva) (dharmo yain) (ura gava) (li) (ka da sa) (rain pu choo) ( ja da) [ each ( ) represents a lotus petal ] "The religious gift-- [an image of ? ] vragavalika dasa, born of rainpu choo"
Script is Brahmi of the 9th-10th century
[ Ben Heller, Inc. , New York, until 1974, sold to MMA]
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Bronze Sculptures from Asia," February 25, 1975–March 21, 1976.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Patterns of Collecting: Selected Acquisitions, 1965–1975," December 6, 1975–March 23, 1976.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Buddhism Along the Silk Road," June 2, 2012–February 10, 2013.
Lerner, Martin. Bronze Sculptures from Asia. Exh. cat. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975, cat. no. 4, pl. 4.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Notable Acquisitions, 1965–1975. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975, p. 105.
Pal, Pratapaditya. Bronzes of Kashmir. New York: Hacker Art Books, 1975, pp. 136–37, cat. no. 46a, b.
Schroeder, Ulrich von. Indo-Tibetan Bronzes. Hong Kong: Vishual Dharma Publications, 1981, pp. 84–85, fig. 6G.
Howard, Kathleen, ed. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1983, p. 248, fig. 21.
Barnhart, Richard M. (Introduction). The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Asia. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987, p. 125, pl. 81.
Howard, Kathleen, ed. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide. 2nd ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1994, p. 100, fig. 21.
Kossak, Steven M. "The Arts of South and Southeast Asia." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin. n.s., Vol. 51, no. 4 (Spring 1994), pp. 35–36, fig. 26.
Reedy, Chandra L. Himalayan Bronzes: Technology, Style and Choices. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1997, p. 144, fig. P18.
Behrendt, Kurt. How to Read Buddhist Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019, pp. 98–99, figs. 72, 73.
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