Indonesian / Head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara / 9th century

Indonesian
Head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
9th century
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Creator Nationality: Asian; Southeast Asian; Indonesian
Creator Name-CRT: Indonesian
Title: Head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
View: Full View
Creation Start Date: 800
Creation End Date: 899
Creation Date: 9th century
Creation Place: Indonesia, Central Java
Object Type: Sculpture
Materials and Techniques: Volcanic stone
Dimensions: H. 21 1/4 in. (54 cm)
AMICA Contributor: Asia Society
Owner Location: New York, New York, USA
ID Number: 1979.086
Credit Line: Asia Society: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection
Rights: http://www.asiasociety.org
Context: Several large temple mountain complexes were constructed in Central Java during the rule of the Shailendra dynasty and dedicated to Buddhism. The 9th-century temple mountain Borobudur, the most famous of these complexes, is renowned for the beauty and majesty of its over 500 seated sculptures of the Buddha. Many of these Buddhas have lost their heads, thus it has been common to assign a provenance of Borobudur to works that are close in style to the sculpture at this famous monument.

This head of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was once optimistically attributed to Borobudur. Avalokiteshvara is identified by the small image of a seated Amitabha Buddha in his headdress. His hair is styled into an elaborate coiffure and he wears a diadem decorated with five plaques. The size of this head indicates that it came from a large sculpture. Because of its size, it has also been suggested that it comes from Chandi Plaosan, a 9th-century temple mountain noted for its monumental sculptures. However, this is speculative, and it is more accurate to consider this head simply as an example of sculpture from Central Java rather than as a fragment from any particular monument.

Related Document Description: Asia Society. Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection. New York: Asia Society, [1981], p. 41.
AMICA ID: ASIA.1979.086
AMICA Library Year: 1998
Media Metadata Rights: Copyright, Asia Society

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