Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion

Currently not on view

Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion

Early 14th century

Artist/maker unknown, Tibetan

One of the most popular devotional deities in Himalayan Buddhism, Avalokiteshvara (the Bodhisattva of Compassion) appears in many forms, but this eleven-headed, “thousand-armed” form is one of the most popular. The many heads, eyes, and hands represent the countless ways in which Avalokiteshvara can see, hear, and benefit all sentient beings. This figure is exceptional because two parts of the original multipiece work (the body and the separately cast splay of arms) are preserved together. A third layer of hands originally fanned out at the back of the sculpture to make a complete set of one thousand arms.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion
Eleven-Headed and "Thousand-Armed" Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion, Deity who helps beings reach enlightenment so they can escape the cycle of time

Date:

Early 14th century

Artist:

Artist/maker unknown, Tibetan

Medium:

Copper alloy with silver and copper colored inlay, coral, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and at multiple layers of applied cold gold

Dimensions:

20 1/2 × 13 × 4 1/2 inches (52.1 × 33 × 11.4 cm) Base: 3 5/8 × 7 13/16 × 5 5/8 inches (9.2 × 19.8 × 14.3 cm)

Classification:

Sculpture

Credit Line:

125th Anniversary Acquisition. Purchased with the Stella Kramrisch Fund, 2001

Accession Number:

2001-90-1

Geography:

Made in western Tibet, Tibet, Asia

Context:

Period: Medieval Period (c. 600 - c. 1300)

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Currently not on view