Bust of Avalokiteshvara 35cm

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£299 In stock

A beautiful carving of a bust of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion. Phnom Da style, 7th century (?), now housed at the Guimet Museum, Paris

Avalokiteshvara is one of the most venerated deities in the mahayana Buddhist pantheon. He is identifiable thanks to the small “Buddha of the West”, , visible in the crown. On his forehead is a rather unusual ornamental diadem which may derive from foreign influences. With its slightly swaying posture, and soft, delicately subdued modelling, the work bears the hallmark of Phnom Da art.The nose is long, slender and somewhat aquiline; the hair is treated in pomaded locks that tumble down the figure’s back. He wears a simple dhoti with radiating pleats. The meticulously polished finish of the sculpture, typical of so many Cambodian works, highlights the gentle transitions between the constituent masses of the restrained, unostentatious body. Such refined and detailed treatment of the facial elements, and careful attention to overall execution, could suggest royal patronage.

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