Another SAAM favorite

Bodhisattva, mid-2nd to mid-3rd century
Schist
Pakistan, Gandhara region,
Kushana dynasty (30-375)

Although dressed as a prince with jewels and a pearl headdress, this figure can be identified as a bodhisattva. The left arm is broken, but its lowered position indicates that it probably held a flask, which implies that he is the Bodhisattva Maitreya, embodiment of wisdom and also the
Buddha of the future. Thick drapery, wavy hair, and a muscular chest recall the sculpture of ancient Greece and Rome. In 327 BCE, Alexander the Great, a king from Macedon (northern Greece), conquered the Gandhara region (parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan). Although he did
not stay long, he left colonies and opened trade routes. Sculptors trained in the Greco-Roman stvle continued to pass down
their trade in the region for centuries, often working for Buddhist patrons.

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection, 44.63

A favorite from the Seattle Asian Art Museum collection.

THOUSAND-ARMED, ELEVEN-HEADED GUANYIN
16TH CENTURY
CHINESE
Guanyin, or “one who hears the prayers of the world,” is the embodiment of compassion. He is the most popular of the many celestial bodhisattvas, or compassionate guides, of Buddhism. With multiple arms and heads, this work signifies Guanyin’s infinite powers and immeasurable reach. The teachings and ritual formulas of esoteric or tantric branches of Buddhism were secret; they held hidden meanings that could be unlocked only with initiation and a teacher’s guidance. Yet these traditions spread widely from India to Tibet, Mongolia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the East Asian countries of China, Korea, and Japan.

Bronze with gilt, 44 15/16 × 32 × 19 1/2 in. (114.2 × 81.3 × 49.5cm), Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection, 33.821
Provenance: purchased 1931, John Wanamaker, New York, NY

The Center Holds at 14 feet tall creates the illusion of undulating motion through bronze form. At a corner where the past and future reside side by side, unmoved by the change that surrounds it, the sculpture offers a welcoming empowering focal point, a symbol of continuity. Seen from all angles, The Center Holds, dances motionless as a still point in a swiftly turning world.

By Julie Speidel 2017

#seattle #publicart #sculpture #bronze

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