Bodhisattva
China, probably Hebei province, Bodhisattva, 550/577 CE, marble, Museum Purchase: Ella M. Hirsch Fund, public domain, 40.31
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
Bodhisattva
- Related Titles
original language: 菩薩像
- Artist
- Date
550/577 CE
- Medium
marble
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
37 1/2 in x 10 1/4 in x 4 1/2 in
- Collection Area
Asian Art
- Category
Sculpture
- Object Type
sculpture
- Culture
Chinese
- Credit Line
Museum Purchase: Ella M. Hirsch Fund
- Accession Number
40.31
- Copyright
public domain
- Terms
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva (wisdom being) is one who has attained enlightenment but postpones nirvana (final extinction) in order to help others. Bodhisattvas appear in the form of the young Siddhartha as a prince in ancient India, wearing elaborate jewelry and a dhoti, a skirt-like garment draped at the waist.
This figure dates from the Northern Qi dynasty (550–557), making it contemporary with the large Buddha head on view nearby (51.255). Sculpture from this period reveals a nascent movement toward realism, as the body begins to emerge from an erect, columnar form, with low relief carving to delineate musculature, garments, and jewelry. Polychrome painting, now completely worn away, enhanced the lifelike effect.
