1-233-417 - The Museum of East Asian Art/Heritage Images

Pottery figure of Avalokitesvara, Northern Qi dynasty, China, 563. A buff pottery standing figure of Avalokitesvara with elaborate crown and pointed mandola festooned with necklace pendants. The right arm is bent at the elbow, its hand raised and the other arm hanging down. The clothes, with long pendant draperies, cover the thin legs, and the feet and ankles are of almost upright triangular shape, both features typical of the Buddhist bronzes and marble statues of the period from Northern Qi to early Sui. The figure ends in a ceramic plug which fits into a circular inverted lotus petal stand on a square plinth. The reverse of the figure has a dated dedicatory inscription in black ink dating the figure to the 5th day of the 10th month of 563 AD.