A limestone sculpture of a figure standing upright and wearing a decorated robe that covers their arms and goes to their feet. They are wearing a crown and there is a faded red circle behind their head. Their right hand has been broken off.
Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College

The limestone sculpture is of a figure standing upright and wearing a robe that covers their arms and goes to their feet. The robe is decorated with strands of beads and swirled details in the front. They are wearing a crown and there is a faded red circle behind their head. Their right hand has been broken off. The sculpture is light tan in color.

Gallery Text

Enlightened, compassionate bodhisattvas are visually distinguished from other Buddhist figures by their flowing princely attire, opulent jewels, elaborate crowns, and long hair — attributes that derive from the costumes of ancient Indian royalty and that signify bodhisattvas’ choice to remain in our world. A small image of a seated Amitabha Buddha in this magnificent figure’s crown identifies the deity as Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, one of the most venerated and oft-depicted bodhisattvas in East Asia. The veneration of Avalokiteshvara flourished in China from the fourth century onward, as the deity came to be revered for his ability to appear in response to the recitation of his name by anyone beset by troubles. Thanks to the rapid spread of the deity’s cult, large free-standing sculptures such as this came to figure prominently in many Chinese temples; in fact, Avalokiteshvara is one of the few bodhisattvas to be regularly presented as a stand-alone figure.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1943.53.43
Title
Standing Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin Pusa) with Circular Halo
Other Titles
Alternate Title: Guanyin Pusa [Kuan-yin P'u-sa]
Alternate Title: Avalokitesvara
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture, figure
Date
581 - 618
Places
Creation Place: East Asia, China
Period
Sui dynasty, 581-618
Culture
Chinese
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/204049

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 traces of gilding and polychrome pigment
Dimensions
H. 158 x W. 34.3 x D. 33 cm (62 3/16 x 13 1/2 x 13 in.)
Weight 530 lb.

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
[Yamanaka & Co., New York, January 12, 1931] sold; to Grenville L. Winthrop, New York (1931-1943), 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
1943.53.43
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Publication History

  • Kristin A. Mortimer and William G. Klingelhofer, Harvard University Art Museums: A Guide to the Collections, Harvard University Art Museums and Abbeville Press (Cambridge and New York, 1986), no. 20, p. 26

Exhibition History

  • Re-View: S228-230 Arts of Asia, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 05/31/2008 - 06/01/2013
  • 32Q: 1610 Buddhist Art I, Harvard Art Museums, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Collection Highlights
  • 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