Seated Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara ( Guanyin )

Pensive Bodhisattva has typical features of the Buddhist artworks. Also, the interesting aspect is we can see the unique features of the Three Kingdom Period’s artwork through this sculpture. When we see this sculpture at first, the most noticeable point is the bodhisattva’s posture. He sits on the dais and he puts his right leg over his left leg. The right leg also props his right elbow and his fingers especially the forefinger and the middle finger touch his right chin and he rests his left hand neatly on his right ankle. The description of his fingers and toes are very realistic. When we see the fingers and toes, we can feel how the artist put his or her blood into sculpting each fingers and toes. However, his posture seems agonizing. When we take a closer look his face, his eyes are closed and he puts gentle smile on his lips. For that reason, his posture reminds us his anguish, but at the same time, his facial expression

The Buddhist instructor informed us that Buddha was just a title given to those that reached enlightenment. He also clarified that the statue in the center was of Chenrezig Buddha. Chenrezig Buddha is known as the Buddha of compassion. Under that statue was the Vajrapani statue, which is the protector of Buddha. This statue looks very fierce in nature in order to show the strength and power of Buddha. To the right was the picture of the founder of Diamond Way Buddhism centers, Lama Ole Nydahl, and the founder’s wife who had passed away. The instructor explained to us that Nydahl was a very inspirational and motivational Buddhist who was currently on tour all over the world for Buddhist teaching purposes (Anonymous).

Chola Dynasty, which is also known as one of the greatest periods in Asia for sculpture. This time period was also well-known for bronze sculptures but this particular sculpture in Met was copper alloy probably because from my knowledge, at that time, copper was better for carving and sculpting but now a days, there are paintings of the Nataraja that are colorful, too (with a lot of colors, and much easier to see and understand). Also, being that it was copper to me it looked a little dull because I have seen the sculpture in the different colors, shapes and sizes. There are many other brass figures depicting Shiva as Lord of the Dance in different postures of the dance. When these sculptures were made only fortunate classes such as royals and priest could view the deities and people who were poor wasn’t able to. But now, everyone can see it, and have it. The pose, Shiva with his four arms is called “tribhanga in Bharantanayam” (another classical dance of South India).

The art depicts to me the Indian life cycle and religious perspective when she poses in different forms which she depicts with her hands and feet (Shiva). According to MFAH bulletin board, it explains the nonverbal poses that “Shiva Nataraja” makes such the little man underneath her feet is “Apasmara” resembles the human race “ignorance, forgetfulness, and recklessness”, and one of her hands depicts holding a “…drum…beat of this drum signifies the sound of creation” and her large third eye resembles the looks between “truth” and “illusion” (Shiva). Also, it amazes me the vivid image the artist presented from this bronze statue of “Shiva Nataraja” which depicts in a live and dynamic form.

Buddha statue that “remains on earth as a means of helping other believers lead a better life so that

Established during the early 8th century, an artwork known as The Pair of Lokapala, translated as the heavenly guardians, shapes the essence of early Chinese dynasty art sculpture. The 40 ½ x 16 ½ x 11 ¾ inch sculpture is focused around the Tang Dynasty due to its prominent years dating from 618-907 A.D. Furthermore, the materials to create The Pair of Lokapala was used with earthenware with three color lead glazes. Although the artist is unknown, the style of the artwork stretches the styling of Chinese sculpture, showing that the artist used those values to create the artwork. Therefore, The Pair of Lokapala evokes various aspects through Tang Dynasty art by emphasizing two guardians through the subject matter, arranging many formal

Representations of the bodhisattva in China prior to the Song dynasty were masculine in appearance. Guanyin's image is depicted as a young man dressed in Northern Song Buddhist robes sitting gracefully. He is depicted looking or glancing down, symbolizing that Guanyin continues to watch over the world.8 This Guanyin sculpture was made around Late Song dynasty, the appearance of the bodhisattva showing the slender build, feminine curved face, even though the Guanyin is still portrayed as a male figure, it shows some transition between male and female characteristics.

Located at the Horyu-ji temple, the Shaka Triad, also known as the Shaka Trinity, stands 3.82 meters high from the base of the pedestal to the tip of the mandorla. The stature was created out of gilded bronze in several pieces before being put together, and consists of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, bordered by two bodhisattvas. Each bodhisattva is 0.91 m high, while the central figure, measures out to be 0.86 m. The three figures are situated on a wooden pedestal, backed by a bronze mandorla, decorated with smaller seated Buddha’s cast in relief. The sculpture has been beautifully preserved, although the gilding on the bodhisattvas has become slightly blackened.

The Jataka is the most important Buddhist literature which was written in the 4th century BCE, and there are 547 stories. These stories are about the early lives of the Buddha before he was enlightened. The Buddha was born and reincarnated in rituals of humans, animals, and god. Buddhism is the religion of compassion that teach moral values and provides lessons. The objective of Buddhism is to enlighten about dharma and karma that might help individuals to escape the karmic cycle and reach nirvana. Dharma is expressed as the system of ethical behavior of life, distributing good life energy through the universe. Karma is mean as the network of cause/effect from the human action that can determine future reincarnation as a higher or lower creature.

On either side of the entrance door of Chinese section in Penn Museum are two particularly charming life-sized Bodhisattva statues in gray limestone, C111 and C112, which are considered as a pair and most likely to be made by the same artist. They belong to the T’ang dynasty, that period in which Buddhist sculpture reaches its height of perfection.

Sayre the author says, “The Buddha is the most extensive collection of large-scale sculptures in the world and can be found an hour north of New York City in the lower Hudson Valley at Storm King Art Center (“A World of Art”). Zhang seems to like the traditional aspects of chinses culture, because he re-used an ash material form other artists, to create his own sculpture. The techniques he used to create the sculpture is casting, assemblage, and construction. Without using these three additive techniques of sculpting, the artwork wouldn’t have been fragile, and not overwhelming in size. The subject of the “three Legged-Buddha” is another conflict with the governmental rules and regulations, and it has drawn a lot of attention due to its strong message that it conveys. When I initially examined the art piece for the first time, it looked like a huge dismantled, three legged human figure. I thought it was a symbol for keeping your body in better shape over your mind. The most amazing part of the sculpture is how extremely large it is compared to the electrocution sculpture. After reading and interpreting the sculpture it struck me that it was made for ceremonial gathering, where incense placed and burned from inside of the sculpture, and pours out of the head. I think that the artist was trying to involve the visitors in his sculpture. Since Zhang Huan

“[Siddhartha said,] ‘This stone is a stone, it is also an animal, it is also God, it is also the Buddha, I love and honor it not because it would become this or that someday, but because of this because it is a stone, because it appears to me now and today as a stone, it is precisely because of this that I love it and see worth and meaning in each of its veins and pits, in the yellow, in the gray, in the hardness, in the sound it emits when I tap it, in the dryness or dampness of its surface. [T]hat is precisely what I like and what seems wonderful to me and worthy of worship…I love the stone and the river and all these things that we contemplate and also a tree or a piece of bark. These are things and things can be loved” (Hesse 126-127).

based on the style of stone statues. The figures of Buddhist art of Sui Dynasty have broader

The path to spiritual freedom is sought by many people in this world. Relief from suffering is sought by many more. In these times, in all times past, and probably in times to come, the need for a spiritual guide is apparent. Kwan Yin (Guan Shih Yin in China, Kannon in Japan) is a Buddhist goddess of compassion who provides this guidance and direction for countless people.

The two sculptures presented for this assignment are the Statue of Gudea, which dates back to 2090 B.C. (“Statue of Gudea,” 2000) and The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu, which dates back to 2575–2465 B.C. (“The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu,” 2000). Both statues represent people; however, they depict different types of people from completely different time periods and cultural backgrounds. The Statue of Gudea shows the ruler of southern Mesopotamian, Gudea, whose reign was from 2144-2124 B.C. (“The votive statue of Gudea: A formal analysis,” 2011) sitting in a praying position with his hands locked and his eyes forward. He is dressed in what appears to be a lavish robe with an inscription that clearly depicts what Gudea thought of himself and his successes during his time as ruler. The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu represent what is thought to be a married ancient Egyptian couple who are lovingly embracing each other. Aside from looking at