Tibetan sculpture is characterized by a conservative and complicated iconography, and the acceptance and adaptation of figures, facial types, and clothing associated with many other cultures and various eras. This striking image of a standing bodhisattva, distinguished by the detailed rendering of the lush floral patterns on the skirtlike garment, illustrates the impact of Indian, particularly Kashmiri, traditions on the art of western Tibet in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. The large lotus stalk held by this bodhisattva in his left hand and his relaxed posture suggest that this sculpture may represent Avalokiteshvara. A positive identification is difficult, however, because this sculpture lacks the image of a small seated buddha in the headdress, a defining attribute of Avalokiteshvara. The idealized treatment of the bodhisattva and his long garment derive from the art of India. The interest in musculature--evident in the powerful articulation of the torso, the exaggerated waistline, the shape of the face, and the strong facial features--closely parallels the art of Kashmir; indeed, until very recently this sculpture was considered to be Kashmiri. The pose of the figure and the long garland of flowers encircling him generally characterize works made in areas of western Tibet.
The influence of Kashmiri art on Tibetan sculpture reflects Kashmir's importance as a source of Buddhism and Buddhist art traditions during the second propagation of this religion in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. By the 7th century, both Indian and Chinese forms of Buddhism had been known and practiced in Tibet, and by the 8th century, Buddhism was the state religion. Buddhist influence waned, however, during persecutions that occurred between 840 and 842. In the late 10th century, changes in political power led to the resurgence of the religion, and monks from several areas, notably Kashmir to the west and the Pala kingdom of eastern India, were invited to Tibet to teach and practice.
The importance of Kashmiri aesthetics in this sculpture suggests that it may have been made by a Kashmiri artist working in Tibet. Several Kashmiri artists are known to have traveled to western Tibet with the teacher Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055), who had gone to Kashmir in search of texts and images. Rinchen Zangpo is known to have lived and taught in the Guge region of western Tibet, where members of the royal family were housed during the disintegration of the Tibetan empire during the 9th to 11th centuries. Yet the elegantly elongated proportions, the elaborate jewelry, and the large lotus seen in this sculpture of a bodhisattva are common in the art of all countries in the western Himalayas during the 10th and 11th centuries, attesting to the impact of traveling monks and artists during this period.
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Tibetan sculpture is characterized by a conservative and complicated iconography, and the acceptance and adaptation of figures, facial types, and clothing associated with many other cultures and various eras. This striking image of a standing bodhisattva, distinguished by the detailed rendering of the lush floral patterns on the skirtlike garment, illustrates the impact of Indian, particularly Kashmiri, traditions on the art of western Tibet in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. The large lotus stalk held by this bodhisattva in his left hand and his relaxed posture suggest that this sculpture may represent Avalokiteshvara. A positive identification is difficult, however, because this sculpture lacks the image of a small seated buddha in the headdress, a defining attribute of Avalokiteshvara. The idealized treatment of the bodhisattva and his long garment derive from the art of India. The interest in musculature--evident in the powerful articulation of the torso, the exaggerated waistline, the shape of the face, and the strong facial features--closely parallels the art of Kashmir; indeed, until very recently this sculpture was considered to be Kashmiri. The pose of the figure and the long garland of flowers encircling him generally characterize works made in areas of western Tibet.<P>The influence of Kashmiri art on Tibetan sculpture reflects Kashmir's importance as a source of Buddhism and Buddhist art traditions during the second propagation of this religion in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. By the 7th century, both Indian and Chinese forms of Buddhism had been known and practiced in Tibet, and by the 8th century, Buddhism was the state religion. Buddhist influence waned, however, during persecutions that occurred between 840 and 842. In the late 10th century, changes in political power led to the resurgence of the religion, and monks from several areas, notably Kashmir to the west and the Pala kingdom of eastern India, were invited to Tibet to teach and practice.</P><P>The importance of Kashmiri aesthetics in this sculpture suggests that it may have been made by a Kashmiri artist working in Tibet. Several Kashmiri artists are known to have traveled to western Tibet with the teacher Rinchen Zangpo (958-1055), who had gone to Kashmir in search of texts and images. Rinchen Zangpo is known to have lived and taught in the Guge region of western Tibet, where members of the royal family were housed during the disintegration of the Tibetan empire during the 9th to 11th centuries. Yet the elegantly elongated proportions, the elaborate jewelry, and the large lotus seen in this sculpture of a bodhisattva are common in the art of all countries in the western Himalayas during the 10th and 11th centuries, attesting to the impact of traveling monks and artists during this period.</P>
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