Artwork Details

Title
Eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara
Dimensions
30 1/2 × 16 3/4 in.
Medium
Silk embroidery and gold thread
Origin
China
Classification(s)
textiles thangka
Date
18th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin
Object number
C2006.66.5
HAR Number
106

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The cultivation of a strong aspiration to help sentient beings overcome suffering. In Buddhist Mahayana teaching, compassion is the seed for attaining full enlightenment.  

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Although Tibetan Buddhism was not practiced broadly in China, the imperial centers, such as Beijing and Mount Wutai, emerged as hubs of Tibetan Buddhist cultural production. The emperors of the Mongol Yuan (1271–1368), Chinese Ming (1368–1644), and Manchu Qing (1644–1911) dynasties harnessed Tibetan Buddhist ideas to consolidate their power.

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