Thousand Arms on a Lotus

Viewing notes

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

This many-armed bodhisattva, golden throughout, sits in full lotus on a plump lotus pedestal. The crown rises high, stacked with tiers of small faces, while the principal face gazes down in a gentle smile; one pair of hands is joined at the chest, another cradles a small vessel at the belly, and a pair raised high overhead holds up a tiny seated Buddha. Dozens of arms fan out from the shoulders on both sides, each holding an implement — halberds, treasure staffs, lotuses, prayer beads, bows and arrows — packed so densely they can hardly be counted. Below the lotus stands a hexagonal altar with railings, relief-carved panels and tiered lotus mouldings. Brilliant in gold yet never chaotic, enshrined it forms a small altar world of its own, and displayed it wins by sheer overwhelming detail.