60 - GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF PADMAPANI AVALOKITESHVARA, NEPAL, 18TH CENTURY

GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF PADMAPANI AVALOKITESHVARA, NEPAL, 18TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 27,5 cm Wide 21 cm Depth 14 cm Weight: 3593 grams A richly gilded bronze figure of Padmapani Avalokiteshvara seated in a relaxed posture, the slender torso adorned with necklaces, armlets and other finely worked ornaments. An elaborate crown frames the serene face, while lotus stems rise beside the shoulders. The gilding catches the light across the smooth surfaces of the body and the intricately modelled jewellery. Avalokiteshvara embodies compassion in Buddhist tradition, and the lotus is one of the bodhisattva's most recognisable attributes. In Nepalese sculpture, refined metal casting and elaborate ornament were often combined to express both spiritual presence and princely elegance. The figure's appeal lies in the contrast between the calm expression and the abundance of decorative detail. Traces of wear reveal the underlying copper alloy in places, giving depth to the warm gilded surface. The eighteenth-century Nepalese bronze recalls earlier Himalayan devotional models.