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Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Lokanatha Granting Boons
Not on view
In the Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra, Avalokiteshvara is widely evoked as Lokanatha, “Lord of the universe, he who protects the world.” Here he holds a lotus bud in his raised hand, while his lower hand dispenses boons. Over his waistcloth is a tiger-skin hip-wrap, typical of these images. This work and related sculptures on view in this gallery show an awareness of Indian artistic production in Bihar (as at Kurkihar and Nalanda monasteries) and in Bengal during the eighth and ninth centuries. The Bengali legacy is perhaps most evident in the distinctive conical headdress.
cat. no. 167
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