Beneath the Bodhi Leaf

Viewing notes

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

This golden seated bodhisattva's most moving feature is the complete bodhi-leaf aureole behind her. Every vein of the leaf is rendered in fine detail, the central rib running down the middle with smaller veins branching off, as if a real leaf had been magnified many times and stood behind her as a natural screen. She wears a floral crown and beaded necklaces, seated upright on a tall square throne, one hand forming a seal at her chest, the other resting lightly on her knee, both legs pendant and her toes touching the back of an auspicious beast at the front of the seat. The throne is carved all over with scrolling floral patterns and stands on a lotus-petal square platform. The gold is bright and luminous, leaf-light and figure lending each other radiance — refined for devotion, and a quiet place of its own in an entryway, study or tea room.