Gallery 331, Asian Art, third floor (Dutt Gallery)
Main Building
Gallery 331, Asian Art, third floor (Dutt Gallery)
Main Building
A bodhisattva is an enlightened being who delays his own release from the cycle of time to help others attain enlightenment. The meditating Buddha in the crown of this bodhisattva identifies the larger figure as Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion, who knows the suffering of all beings and helps to alleviate it.
This masterpiece was carved at Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon after his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. The artist worked for the powerful Gupta dynasty that ruled most of northern India from the early 300s to the mid-500s. Gupta artists developed specific characteristics for buddhas and bodhisattvas—a slender body barely covered in clinging drapery, pouting lips, and eyes lowered in contemplation—that formed the basis for later Buddhist images all across Asia.
Gallery 331, Asian Art, third floor (Dutt Gallery)
Title: | Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion Deity who helps beings reach enlightenment so they can escape the cycle of time |
Date: | c. Third quarter of 5th century |
Artist: | Artist/maker unknown, Indian |
Medium: | Sandstone |
Dimensions: | 48 1/2 × 15 1/2 × 7 inches (123.2 × 39.4 × 17.8 cm) Weight: 290.5 lb. (131.77 kg) |
Classification: | Sculpture |
Credit Line: | Stella Kramrisch Collection, 1994 |
Accession Number: | 1994-148-1 |
Geography: | Made in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia |
Context: | Dynasty: Gupta Dynasty (c. 300-c. 550) |
We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.
Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.
Gallery 331, Asian Art, third floor (Dutt Gallery)
Main Building