Avalokiteshvara

anonymous, c. 750 - c. 900

This statue is one of a series of large, bronze Buddhist images found in northeast Thailand. Avalokiteshvara is recognizable by his hairstyle, a tower of curls in which a figure of the Buddha Amitabha is seen meditating. This statue has recently been cleaned and restored to reveal the original patina. Its silvery appearance is due to the high tin content of the bronze.

  • Artwork typefigure, Avalokitesvara
  • Object numberAK-RAK-2000-15
  • Dimensionsheight 79 cm x width 29.6 cm x depth 17.5 cm, height 86 cm
  • Physical characteristicsbronze

Identification

  • Title(s)

    • Avalokiteshvara
    • The bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

  • Object type

  • Object number

    AK-RAK-2000-15

  • Description

    Staand beeld met vier armen van Avalokitesvara.

Creation

  • Creation

    bronze caster: anonymous, Prakhon Chai

  • Dating

    c. 750 - c. 900

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    bronze

  • Dimensions

    • height 79 cm x width 29.6 cm x depth 17.5 cm
    • height 86 cm

This work is about

  • Subject

Exhibitions

Acquisition and rights

  • Credit line

    Purchased with the support of the SponsorBingo Loterij

  • Acquisition

    purchase 2000-10-31

  • Copyright

    Public domain

  • Provenance

    …; purchased by Ben Heller (probably Benjamin Theodore Heller, 1925-2019), 1964;{Note RMA.} …; sale, Amsterdam (Christie's), 31 October 2000, no. 155, with support from Nederlandse Sponsor Loterij, to the museum

Documentation

    • R. van Langh, 'Een Thais bronzen beeld uit de achtste eeuw vanuit een technisch oogpunt benaderd', Aziatische Kunst 31 (2001), nr. 1, p. 2-4.
    • Emma C. Bunker, 'Pre-Angkor Period Bronzes from Pra Kon Chai', Archives of Asian Art 25 (1971-1972), p. 67-76, nr. 22.
    • Jan van Campen, 'Een nieuw collectieboek', Aziatische Kunst 45 (2014) nr. 2, p. 52, afb. 2.
    • Renée Steenbergen, 'Chronology', Aziatische Kunst 40 (2010) nr. 2, p. 25-34, afb. 13.
    • Emma C. Bunker, 'The Prakhon Chai story : facts and fiction', Arts of Asia 32 (2002) nr. 2, p. 106-125, afb. 15.
    • Tanongsak Hanwong, Lalita Hanwong, Stephen Murphy, 'The Prakhon Chai Hoard Debunked: Unravelling Six Decades of Myth, Misdirection, and Misidentification', International Journal of Cultural Property 31 (2024), pp. 177-201 (online)
    • P. Lunsingh Scheurleer en M. Baarspul, 'Een bronzen vondst : De bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara', Aziatische Kunst 31 (2001), nr. 1, p. 2-4.

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