A CARVED WOOD FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA

A CARVED WOOD FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA
Song/Jin dynasty
The deity portrayed in the relaxed posture of lalitasana with the left leg pendant and the right arm gracefully resting atop the bent right knee, the left arm straight and appearing to support the weight of the figure to the left, the serene face with fleshy cheeks flanking the straight nose and well-formed lips, beneath a pair of downcast eyes, the forehead with a circular depression meant to receive an inlaid urna, the hair divided into strands, with two knotted strands falling over the shoulders and the remainder swept up and secured into a tall topknot, the soft, fleshy upper body bare except for a long sash draped over the left shoulder, the layered dhoti tied at the waist falling in graceful folds around the lower body, the figure adorned with necklace, armbands, bracelets and beaded chains, the back of the figure cut with a rectangular chamber to hold consecrated materials, the surfaces with traces of pigments.
48 1/2in (123cm) high