Seated Bodhisattva, Possibly Padmapani

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The seated figure is richly adorned with a collar, a necklace with a central bead, earrings, a cord of amulet cases worn diagonally across the chest, a sacred thread falling loosely over the right arm, and two pairs of bracelets. He holds an inverted lotus, suggesting that he represents either the Bodhisattva Padmapani (Lotus Bearer) or an early form of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. It is unusual for a bodhisattva to be depicted seated in a lotus posture, and thus the precise identity of this figure remains controversial.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art