Artwork Page for Caparisoned Elephant

Details / Information for Caparisoned Elephant

Caparisoned Elephant

c. 1000s

China, Liao dynasty

(916-1125)
Medium
gilt bronze
Measurements
Overall: 18.5 cm (7 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1980.24
Public Domain
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Location
241C Chinese Buddhist Sculptures
Print

Description

The six-tusked elephant holds the throne of Puxian (Samantabhadra), the Bodhisattva of Universal Virtue, who often appears with Wenshu (Manjusri), the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, on his lion-vehicle. This impressive gilt bronze statue is solidly cast, except for the hollow at the center of its belly. The richly ornate saddle cloth exhibits superb craftsmanship and vivid representations of dragons among clouds, echoing the worldly splendor of the Liao material culture.

Caparisoned Elephant

c. 1000s

China, Liao dynasty (916-1125)

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