明 彩繪木雕善財童子像（椴木胎）|Pilgrim Sudhana (Shancai tongzi)

Unknown

late 15th–early 17th century · Wood (linden) with pigment; single woodblock construction · Asian Art

Sculptures of a standing boy holding his hands in a reverent gesture often represent Sudhana, a young pilgrim who traveled throughout South and Southeast Asia to study with learned masters and celestial bodhisattvas in his quest for enlightenment. In China, he is often shown venerating the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, whom he visited during his journeys.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 15th–early 17th century

Medium

Wood (linden) with pigment; single woodblock construction

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, 1942