Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The savior Avalokiteshvara, identified by the seated image of the Buddha Amitabha in his headdress, embodies infinite Buddhist compassion. The cult of ascetic bodhisattvas—observe his simple attire—was particularly powerful in Southeast Asia during the seventh and eighth centuries. This bronze image has a high tin content which would have given it the appearance of silver when newly cast. It was undoubtedly the product of elite royal patronage, yet the region where it was discovered, in northeastern Thailand, remains an historical enigma. It may be linked to a polity referred to as Canasa, with a capital named Canasapura, somewhere in the Khorat Plateau of northeast Thailand. But associating this object with that kingdom is speculative at best. Essentially the polity responsible for this extraordinary high quality and high value object remains unknown.

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