Head of a Bodhisattva

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The sculpture depicts a head with a serene expression. The head has dark brown hair swept up and styled in a cone-shaped coiffure with ridged striations; the top is pointed. The face is elongated with a subtle, enigmatic smile. The eyes are almond-shaped and hooded, with the eyelids cast downward. The nose is straight, the mouth small with subtle lips. The complexion appears weathered with a mottled brown and gray patina. The head sits atop a short, white, foam-like pedestal. The background is light gray. The style is characteristic of a Bodhisattva head sculpture, by an unknown artist.