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Silk Road Collection
Central Asia

Statue of Avalokitesvara Contemplating with One Leg in the Lap

  • Central Asia
  • Gandhara, Pakistan
  • from the 2nd to the 3rd centuries AD
  • The Kushan Dynasty
  • grey schist
  • 78.5cm in height

A royalty-style Bosatsu wearing a turban headdresss. It sits on a rattan chair placed on top of a lotus flower. With its right leg on top of the left, and right elbow set down, it is in the position of meditation. It can be considered as a "Kannon Bosatsu" as it holds the lotus flower in its left hand. The pair of ketus on the neck ornament are Greek sea monsters which act as an escort of souls. In that time, people of Gandhara is likely to have entrusted the escort of deceased souls to this Bosatsu.