佛像网

尺寸：18.6 × 11 × 9 cm
年代：17世纪
质地：铜鎏金
风格：西藏
来源：美国Walters艺术博物馆
参阅：外部链接
鉴赏：
Multi-Armed Avalokiteshvara
Tibetan (Artist)
16th-early 17th century
gilded copper alloy, paint, semiprecious stones

这尊造像的四臂姿态与手持莲花，标识了观音菩萨的特定化身——六字观音。其前二臂于胸前合掌作礼敬印，左后手执持莲茎，右后手虽已空却，原应持念珠。作为“六字观音”（六字真言主尊），此化身与信众虔诚持诵的六字大明咒“唵嘛呢叭咪吽”（意为“皈依莲花上的摩尼宝”）有着深刻关联。主尊顶髻前端坐阿弥陀佛化佛，此布局异于通常将弥陀安于观音冠冕的造像传统。

The positions of this figure’s four hands and the flower he holds identify him as a particular form of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Known as Shadakshari Lokeshvara, he joins the palms of his two front hands at his heart in the gesture of respectful greeting, and he holds a lotus in his back left hand; his back right hand, now empty, once held prayer beads. As Shadakshari Lokeshvara (“Six-Syllable Lord of the World”), Avalokiteshvara has an especially strong association with the six-syllable mantra devotees recite to invoke him: Om mani padme hum, “Om, Jewel-Lotus One.” The head of the Buddha Amitabha emerges from the top of his piled-up hair, a variation from this Buddha’s usual placement in Avalokiteshvara’s crown.

来源:
Purchased by Walter Hauser [1], Charlottesville, Virginia, 1964-65; given to Walters Art Museum, 2016.

[1] Purchased from an unknown dealer or bazaar shop in Kalimpong or Darjeeling in West Bengal

维护:
7/21/2016 Examination The Avalokitesvara is cast from a copper alloy (brass or bronze) with incised decoration, cold paint and semi-precious stones. The copper alloy surface is gilded. The facial areas are pigmented and painted. The hair is blue, lips red and brows black. The skin is first covered with a white ground layer followed by gold powder paint. The space under the pedestal is hollow and may contain prayer scrolls or other material. The bottom is sealed by a sheet of copper with a punched flower in the center.

7/12/2017 Treatment Treated for exhibition

7/12/2017 Treatment The paint on the head had some minor losses and lifting areas. The fragile areas were consolidated with a butyl methacrylate adhesive that did not cause any visual change in color, matte surface or general appearance of the paint.