Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara Statue (Sahasrabhuja Lokeshvara) – Buddhist Sculpture with Filigree

Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara standing, with repoussé aureole. The statue is worked in filigree, gilded and silver-plated, set with colored stones. Sahasrabhuja Lokeshvara is the thousand-armed form of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.

The central figure shows Avalokiteshvara standing on a double lotus on top of a stepped throne. His eleven heads are vertically arranged: nine peaceful faces make up the lower tier, above them a wrathful face, and at the summit sits the head of the Tathagata Amitabha. The front pair of hands encloses the jewel cintamani. Further hands hold the mala, the lotus, the Wheel of the Teaching, as well as bow and arrow, while two hands display charitable mudras. Numerous additional arms extend to either side in semicircular formations. Each hand shows an eye in the palm. Behind the figure unfolds an aureole.

His robe, throne and aureole are worked in filigree. Thin wire is bent into spirals, filled with small arched elements, and combined into ornamental patterns. A banner, pataka, at the front of the throne visually connects the tiers. The background is worked with repoussé, an inner silver-plated circle of arms, and an outer ring with shell motifs.

The sculpture follows iconographic conventions of Vajrayana art in the Kathmandu Valley, in which posture, gesture, and ornament are brought together in a balanced composition.

Sahasrabhuja Lokeshvara

Statue made of copper, traditional lost-wax cast, decorated with fine filigree , silver- and gold-plated, set with colored stones. The faces are set in gold. The background is made of copper, decorated with repoussé and chasing. The work is patinated. Handcrafted in Nepal.

• Height: 18" / 50 cm
• Width: 12.5" / 36,5 cm
• Depth:  5.5" / 13 cm
• Weight: 4,672 g

The statue consists of three parts that are assembled: the rectangular base, the main figure, and the background.