Artwork preview

Head of a bodhisattva, probably Avalokiteshvara

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The sculpture depicts a human head with a serene expression. The face has a wide nose and thin lips. The eyes are closed. The ears are partially visible, with large earlobes. The head wears a tall, rectangular headdress. The headdress has a rounded arch at the front, containing a figure. The figure inside the arch has hands folded in a prayer-like gesture. The sculpture's surface exhibits a mottled brown and gray coloration. The background is light gray.

Artwork details

Date:
early 6th century
Medium:
Limestone
Culture:
China
Dimensions:
473 × 624 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette