Head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

9th century

Indonesia, Central Java

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.

Licensing inquiries

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.