Staff Raised Above the Clouds

Viewing notes

A viewer's written impression — not a buyer review or first-hand record

This golden-toned group centres on a standing monk figure poised on curling clouds. His right hand raises a tall ring-headed staff; his left cradles a round jewel at his chest; a small urna marks his brow and his lowered eyes hold a faint smile. At his feet a beast's head pushes out of the clouds, mane bristling. Below left, an elderly figure kneels with palms joined, face lifted toward him; at right a young monk stands in attendance, hands pressed together — one kneeling, one standing, lifting the central figure higher still. Behind them spreads an enormous golden disc whose concentric arcs swirl like sound or rippling water. The base is carved with rocks and drifting clouds over a plain rectangular plinth. A complete scene with a clear hierarchy — made to be enshrined as a group, or placed in a corner of a room as a tableau entire unto itself.