Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is one of the greatest early medieval metal icons associated with Buddhist art of the Swat Valley. The work is closely connected to related major schools of religious image making in Gilgit (northern Pakistan) and Kashmir, and its physiognomy and drapery embodies elements of the late Gandharan style. The four-armed form of Avalokiteshvara marks the beginning of a long tradition of figures known as the “Bodhisattva of the six-syllables,” associated with the famous prayer “Om Manipade Hum.” This iconographic form is a visualization of that prayer.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bodhisattva AvalokiteshvaraBodhisattva AvalokiteshvaraBodhisattva AvalokiteshvaraBodhisattva AvalokiteshvaraBodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

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.