standing Bodhisattva

standing Bodhisattva , Edo period (1600–1868)

Where object was made: Japan

Material/technique: lacquer; wood; glass; gilding; carving

Dimensions:
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): 46.5 x 16.5 cm including base
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): 18 5/16 x 6 1/2 in

Credit line: Gift of the Mauser Harmony with Nature Foundation, Inc., in memory of Dr. Ferdinand F. Mauser 1914–1994

Accession number: 2006.0147.a,b

On display: Loo Gallery

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With their serene expressions and golden bodies, these wood sculptures depict bodhisattvas. The term bodhisattva, literally meaning “enlightenment being,” describes people who have vowed to become Buddhas. Seen as savior figures who embody compassion, bodhisattvas are a source of protection and comfort during times of danger or distress.

The specific identities of these sculptures remain unknown because it is unclear what gestures they made or what objects they held. However, their divine status is evidenced by their idealized, youthful, and otherworldly appearance. Each figure sways their hips slightly, balancing their weight on one foot in an S-shaped stance. This posture echoes multicultural aesthetics introduced to Japan centuries earlier through imagery from Tang-era China (618 CE–907 CE). Their attire references aesthetics associated with Indian princes. Both the gilded surfaces of the icons and the lotus pedestals they stand on signify their sacred status.