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Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion

1300–1350
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Avalokiteshvara sits with his primary hands in the mudra of veneration, his upraised secondary arms holding a mala (rosary) and a lotus. He resides on Mount Potalaka, depicted as a rocky landscape populated by animals, birds, and a host of Buddhas and mahasiddhas (tantric adepts). The mantra “Om mani padme hum” is recited to evoke this deity; in fact, the epithet “Shadakshari,” in reference to this mantra, translates to “six syllables” in Sanskrit. Avalokiteshvara descends from the mountain and makes himself available to devotees, perfectly represented by the group of lay donors and monks venerating him in the bottom register.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion
  • Date: 1300–1350
  • Culture: Tibet
  • Medium: Distemper on cloth
  • Dimensions: Image: H. 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm); W. 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm)
    Framed: H. 24 1/2 in. (62.2 cm); W. 22 1/2 in. (57.2 cm); Est. wt. 13 lbs. (5.9 kg)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Lent by The Kronos Collections
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art