The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the Form of Padmapani, the Lotus Bearer

The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the Form of Padmapani, the Lotus Bearer

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This Padmapani descends from a series of eleventh-century bodhisattva icons produced under the patronage of the Guge kingdom. It belongs to a larger tradition of metal bodhisattva icons made in western and central Tibetan workshops under both Kashmiri and Indian Pala dynasty influences. The inlaid silver for the eyes and copper for the lips, and the jewelry details, reflect Tibetan responses to Pala models. A softness to the anatomy points to its twelfth-century date, as do the crown, ear ornaments, and engraved textile designs on the waist cloth.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the Form of Padmapani, the Lotus BearerThe Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the Form of Padmapani, the Lotus BearerThe Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the Form of Padmapani, the Lotus BearerThe Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the Form of Padmapani, the Lotus BearerThe Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the Form of Padmapani, the Lotus Bearer

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.