Avalokiteshvara
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Object Label
Bodhisattvas are often depicted standing on either side of a larger image of a seated Buddha, serving as his attendants. This bust of a Bodhisattva from the Indonesian island of Java likely appeared in that context, as indicated by the fly whisk that he holds. In many Asian cultures, fly whisks made of horse- or yak-tail hair were used by servants to wave insects away from their masters, and religious imagery often shows gods attended by fly-whisk bearers.
Caption
Avalokiteshvara, 9th century. Volcanic stone sculpture, 12 × 11 1/4 × 9 3/4 in., 43 lb. (30.5 × 28.6 × 24.8 cm, 19.5kg). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Georgia and Michael de Havenon, 85.215.4. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 85.215.4_front_PS6.jpg)
Collection
Collection
Title
Avalokiteshvara
Date
9th century
Geography
Place made: Central region, Java, Indonesia
Medium
Volcanic stone sculpture
Classification
Dimensions
12 × 11 1/4 × 9 3/4 in., 43 lb. (30.5 × 28.6 × 24.8 cm, 19.5kg)
Credit Line
Gift of Georgia and Michael de Havenon
Accession Number
85.215.4
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
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