Standing Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin Pusa) with Circular Halo

Enlightened, compassionate bodhisattvas are visually distinguished from other Buddhist figures by their flowing princely attire, opulent jewels, elaborate crowns, and long hair — attributes that derive from the costumes of ancient Indian royalty and that signify bodhisattvas’ choice to remain in our world. A small image of a seated Amitabha Buddha in this magnificent figure’s crown identifies the deity as Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, one of the most venerated and oft-depicted bodhisattvas in East Asia. The veneration of Avalokiteshvara flourished in China from the fourth century onward, as the deity came to be revered for his ability to appear in response to the recitation of his name by anyone beset by troubles. Thanks to the rapid spread of the deity’s cult, large free-standing sculptures such as this came to figure prominently in many Chinese temples; in fact, Avalokiteshvara is one of the few bodhisattvas to be regularly presented as a stand-alone figure.