Avalokitesvara Padmapani: Bodhisattva of Mercy Bearing a Lotus
Unknown Artist
c. 1000s
Medium
bronze with gilding, pigment, and semiprecious stones
Dimensions
h. 62 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1976.3
About this artwork
Venerated by Buddhists across the world as the perfect embodiment of compassion for all beings, this bodhisattva-a being only one stage away from complete enlightenment-holds his right hand out gently in the gesture of gift-giving. In his left hand, he once grasped the stem of a lotus flower that blossoms over his left shoulder, indicative of the abundant benefits that result from acts of loving kindness. All bodhisattvas wear royal garments and jewels, in reference to the historical Buddha’s ea...