Head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

Indonesia, Central Java; 9th century
Volcanic stone
H. 21 1/4 x W. 12 1/2 x D. 13 1/4 in. (54 x 31.8 x 33.7 cm)
Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.86

Provenance
John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, NY; acquired in 1977.
The Asia Society, New York, NY, bequest of John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, NY, 1979.

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the Buddhist embodiment of compassion, can be identified by the small image of a seated Buddha in his headdress. His elaborate coiffure and diadem, typical of bodhisattva imagery, is a counterpoint to his downward-looking meditative expression. This head, which measures almost two feet in height, came from a monumentally sized sculpture. An extended rough area that juts out from the back of the head indicates that the sculpture was likely to have been attached to a building.