Sadaksari-Lokeshvara Surrounded by Manifestations and Monks
Unknown Artist
late 15th century
Medium
Distemper, gold and ink on cloth
Dimensions
Image: 40 3/8 x 31 1/4 in. (102.6 x 79.4 cm) Framed: 51 3/8 x 41 9/16 in. (130.5 x 105.6 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture
Tibet
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Margery and Harry Kahn, 1985
Accession Number
1985.390.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of this magnificent late 15th-century Tibetan thangka, *Sadaksari-Lokeshvara Surrounded by Manifest and Monks*, the compassionate Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara— here in his six-syllable form—presides serenely. Flanked by divine manifestations and devoted monks, the composition embodies the profound ideals of Mahayana Buddhism, where Avalokiteshvara boundless mercy and the path to enlightenment. Created in Tibet during a flourishing era of spiritual art, such works served as meditative aids and teaching tools in monasteries, inviting viewers to contemplate the interconnected realms o...