A guilt limestone sculpture of a figure sitting cross-legged and wearing a robe with strands of beads. They are wearing a detailed, colored crown. Their left hand has been broken off.
Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College

The guilt limestone sculpture is of a figure sitting cross-legged and wearing a robe with strands of beads. The beads go around their knees and up, around their neck with a large bead at their stomach. They are wearing a crown that is decorated with red and green coloring. Both of their arms are down by their side and bent. Their right hand is down on their knee. Their left hand has been broken off. The sculpture is a dark gold-yellow color with some wear.

Gallery Text

A bodhisattva is a divine being who has vowed to achieve enlightenment in the future but remains in the world to help all sentient beings attain the same goal. Early artists depicted bodhisattvas in the guise of royalty. They wear silken dhotis — essentially, loose skirts — and scarves, along with abundant jewelry, including earrings, armlets, bracelets, and anklets. Their long hair is typically arranged in a high topknot, with individual strands sometimes falling over the shoulders; a crown often encircles the topknot.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1943.53.26
Title
Seated Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin Pusa), One from a Pair of Bodhisattvas, Probably from an Amitabha Triad
Other Titles
Alternate Title: Guanyin Pusa [Kuan-yin P'u-sa]
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
figure, sculpture
Date
581 - 618
Places
Creation Place: East Asia, China
Period
Sui dynasty, 581-618
Culture
Chinese
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/204045

Location

Location
Level 1, Room 1610, Buddhist Sculpture, Buddhism and Early East Asian Buddhist Art
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Limestone with polychromy and gilding
Dimensions
H. 68 x W. 40 x D. 27 cm (26 3/4 x 15 3/4 x 10 5/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Grenville L. Winthrop, New York (by 1943), bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1943.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Grenville L. Winthrop
Accession Year
1943
Object Number
1943.53.26
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

THIS WORK MAY NOT BE LENT BY THE TERMS OF ITS ACQUISITION TO THE HARVARD ART MUSEUMS.

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Exhibition History

  • S426: Chinese Buddhist Cave Sculpture, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 10/20/1985 - 04/30/2008
  • 32Q: 1610 Buddhist Art I, Harvard Art Museums, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Google Art Project

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu