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Bodhisattva Amoghapasa (Avalokitesvara of the never-empty noose)

Artist Unknown

Artwork Details

Bodhisattva Amoghapasa (Avalokitesvara of the never-empty noose)
n.d.
Artist Unknown
bronze
6 5/8 in. x 3 3/4 in. x 2 in. ( 16.8 cm x 9.5 cm x 5.1 cm )
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Figiel
1978/2.97

Description

Subject Matter:

A small statue of the Bodhisattva Amoghapasa, a form of the popular Buddhist deity Avalokitesvara, worshipped most commonly in Buddhist Nepal and Japan. His name means "of the never-empty noose," and his key attribute is a lasso, used to resuce lost souls. Amoghapasa is shown as a bodhisattva (a "wisdom being," with long hair, jewelry, and wearing a dhoti, and with eight arms.

Physical Description:

A small bronze figure of Amoghapasa, a Buddhist deity, made by the cire perdue (lost wax) casting method. The challenge to the caster is this case is the top-heaviness of the piece caused by the iconographical requirement for the image to have eight arms; in at attempt to provide some support, he arranging floating scarves to drape all the way to the lotus pedestal.

Usage Rights:

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