Riding the Beast, Jewel in Hand

Viewing notes

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

This polychrome bodhisattva is seated upon a reclining mythical beast, a tall pointed aureole rising behind him. The beast lies couched with a scaled hide and an antlered head, jaws open and teeth showing, yet its manner is tame; a patterned saddle cloth hangs at its flank. The bodhisattva wears an openwork golden crown, his eyes lowered in a faint smile. His raised left hand holds a golden, flame-shaped treasure before his chest; his lowered right hand loosely grips the reins. One foot hangs down, its toes resting on a small lotus. The aureole behind him fans out in radiating arcs of russet and gold, inlaid with fine cloud scrolls. Beneath everything is a fully gilded square stand with a large lotus at the centre of its front. Grand yet approachable, the piece suits enshrinement in a shrine or the principal place in a room.