Avalokiteshvara

Avalokiteshvara— sometimes called Padmapani, referencing a lotus stem he holds in his left hand— is one of the great bodhisattvas in Tibetan Buddhism and is considered to be the embodiment of compassion. In Tibetan Buddhist traditions rooted in tantric texts and practices originated in India, he is affiliated with Buddha Amitabha, shown here as a small buddha figure in his crown. Two flying figures (apsaras) flank Avalokiteshvara’s head, while two small figures kneel at the base of his lotus throne. They are likely donors who commissioned the sculpture with the mind to seek Avalokiteshvara’s blessings and create merit as well as a good life.

The sculpture represents a popular type of image often found across northern India, the western Himalayas, western Tibet, Nepal, and beyond. However, this sculpture’s stylistic elements indicate a western Himalayan cultural sphere, where artistic production integrated Kashmiri aesthetics not only in painting but also in sculptural forms, in metal, clay and stone. The silver inlaid eyes are among the persistent elements of Kashmiri aesthetics evidenced in western Himalayan metal images. The sculpture displays evidence of repairs that may have been made possibly centuries after its creation.