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Kuan-yin
Title:Kuan-yin
Artist:Artist Unknown
Date:early 7th century
Creation Place:Asia, China
Credit Line:The John R. Van Derlip Fund
Accession Number:43.7
This gilt bronze statue of Kuan-yin (Avalokitesvara) shows the Bodhisattva holding a fly whisk (chauri) in his right hand and an ambrosia flask (amrta kalasa) in his left. An actual Buddhist flask similar in date and shape to the one in this sculpture is shown to the right in this same case. By this stage, Chinese sculpture had evolved a style quite different than the Indian Gupta tradition that originally inspired them. The face, with elongated eyes, silk robes, luxurious jewelry, and elaborate headdress area all Chinese characteristics.