Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva in the Water-Moon Form (Shuiyue Guanyin)

China

12th century

Wood, gesso and pigments

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A seated wooden sculpture of a deity with elaborate headdress and jewelry, resting on a carved base. The figure is adorned with multiple strands of beads and wears flowing robes. Of the many manifestations of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, perhaps none was more prevalent in East Asia than the uniquely Chinese form known as “Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara, ” which later also spread to Korea and Japan. This form of the bodhisattva presides over his own paradise, Potolaka, which is described in scripture as a rugged seaside cave from which Avalokiteshvara could admire the reflection of the moon in the water. Appropriately, he appears meditative and relaxed and is seated informally in the “royal-ease” posture. Ornately dressed, with silk robes, fluttering sashes, jewelry, and an elaborate hairstyle, he also wears