Period: Pala period, 11th century
Materials: Black schist
Dimensions: 47 cm
Description
Padmapani, the “lotus bearer”, is a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. In this eleventh-century sculpture from Pala-period India, the six arms distribute the deity’s gestures and attributes around the body.
The lotus evokes spiritual purity; the mala accompanies mantra recitation; the ritual flask and fly-whisk complete the attributes. One hand performs varada mudra, the gesture of granting and benevolence. The bodhisattva sits in lalitasana, the posture of royal ease.
One leg is folded on the seat and the other lowered, positioning the body before the stele. The limbs extend laterally, while the face and torso retain the composition’s central axis. The fly-whisk, or chauri, belongs to the language of dignity and ritual service. The frame and ornaments complete the image without disrupting the relationship between the centre of the figure and the arrangement of the hands.
Black schist allows fine carving of the jewellery, crown and frame. The contrast between these details and the modelling of the body characterises Pala production, whose models influenced sculpture in Nepal and Tibet.
