Kannon Bosatsu

Bodhisattvas are accomplished practitioners of Buddhism who postpone their own final enlightenment to help all sentient beings attain liberation. Kannon, the bodhisattva of limitless compassion, is one of the most widely worshipped and depicted deities in the tradition. This example dates to around the Heian or Kamakura period and has become stylized through exposure to elements. A carved foot adds a surprising detail to the otherwise weathered form. Two small repairs (one to the temple and the other to the foot) serve as further ‘proof of the past’ as one of my friends poetically puts it. An inscription on the stand contains the text “Kōfukuji sentaibutsu 興福寺千体仏”, indicating that this piece may have been one of one thousand statues housed in a worship hall at the Kōfukuji Temple in Nara. Box included 16” height on stand