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| Head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara |
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| Indonesia, Central Java; 9th century |
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| Volcanic stone |
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| H. 21 1/4 in. (54 cm) |
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| Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection of Asian Art |
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| 1979.086 |
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| Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the Buddhist embodiment of compassion, can be identified by the small image of a seated Buddha in his headdress. His elaborate coiffure and diadem, typical of bodhisattva imagery, is a counterpoint to his downward-looking meditative expression. This head, which measures almost two feet in height, came from a monumentally sized sculpture. An extended rough area that juts out from the back of the head indicates that the sculpture was likely to have been attached to a building. |
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