Aug 27, 2012
Aug 27, 2012

Caparisoned Elephant

Caparisoned Elephant

c. 1000s

Gilt bronze

Overall: 18.5 cm (7 5/16 in.)

Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1980.24

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.

See also
Department: 
Chinese Art
Type of artwork: 
Sculpture
Medium: 
Gilt bronze

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