Bodhisattva (Avalokitesvara)

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Bodhisattva, Shanxi Province, Jin Dynasty, circa 1200, wood, traces of gold and polychrome. Musée d’Art et d’Histoire (Musée du Cinquantenaire, Brussels, Belgium). Made with Zephyr3D Lite from 3DFlow.

The Bodhisattva is the central figure of Mahayana Buddhism. He has attained a high spiritual level but he differs his enlightenment to help other men on the spiritual path. Here we see a representation of Guanyin (Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit), the bodhisattva of compassion. While in India, this bodhisattva is still depicted as a man, in regions further east of Asia he looks like an androgynous, even a woman. Unlike the soberly dressed Buddha, bodhisattvas often wear royal garments, ornaments, crowns and other jewels. This work shows a remarkable necklace enhanced with two entangled dragons. The attitude represented is that of the “royal relaxation” (Maharaja-lilasana in sancrit).

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