Untitled

Unknown

11th–12th century · Copper alloy with gilding and semiprecious stones · Asian Art

Padmapani (“The Lotus-Bearer”) stands majestically, his lowered hand in the boon-granting gesture (varadamudra) while his raised hand holds the stem of a white lotus (padma) that blooms above his shoulder, serving to invoke the purity of Buddhist thought. Padmapani is finely dressed and bejeweled, as befits a savior prince. Flowers decorate his waist cloth, secured with a jeweled belt. Settings indicate where gems once adorned him. The stylization of the figure is a reminder that the artist responsible was strictly following ritual manuals of design (citrasastras). Superb modeling, imposing scale, and majestic bearing combine to create one of the greatest Nepalese Buddhist sculptures known.

Artist

Unknown

Date

11th–12th century

Medium

Copper alloy with gilding and semiprecious stones

Culture

Nepal, Kathmandu Valley

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Bequests of Mary Clarke Thompson, Fanny Shapiro, Susan Dwight Bliss, Isaac D. Fletcher, William Gedney Beatty, John L. Cadwalader and Kate Read Blacque, Gifts of Mrs. Samuel T. Peters, Ida H. Ogilvie, Samuel T. Peters and H. R. Bishop, F. C. Bishop and O. M. Bishop, Rogers, Seymour and Fletcher Funds, and other gifts, funds and bequests from various donors, by exchange, 1982