Standing Padmapani, 12th–13th century. Bronze with traces of gold and inlay of semiprecious stones, 8 1/4 × 2 1/2 × 1 7/8 in. (21 × 6.4 × 4.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Georgia and Michael de Havenon, 77.198. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 77.198_front_PS11.jpg)
Standing Padmapani, 12th–13th century. Bronze with traces of gold and inlay of semiprecious stones, 8 1/4 × 2 1/2 × 1 7/8 in. (21 × 6.4 × 4.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Georgia and Michael de Havenon, 77.198. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 77.198_bw.jpg)
Standing Padmapani
Asian Art
On View: Asian Galleries, Arts of the Himalayas, 2nd floor
Padmapani, the Lotus Bearer, is the most important of all bodhisattvas. Embodying compassion, he is the presiding deity of the present kalpa (eon).
MEDIUM
Bronze with traces of gold and inlay of semiprecious stones
DATES
12th–13th century
DIMENSIONS
8 1/4 × 2 1/2 × 1 7/8 in. (21 × 6.4 × 4.8 cm) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Asian Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
77.198
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Georgia and Michael de Havenon
PROVENANCE
Prior to 1976, provenance not yet documented; November 10, 1976, purchased at Christie’s, New York, lot 169, by Georgia and Michael de Havenon of New York, NY; 1977, gift of Georgia and Michael de Havenon to the Brooklyn Museum.
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CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Standing figure of Bodhisattva Padmapani with his principal attribute, the lotus, in his left hand. His right hand rests at his side in the varada mudra (palm forward, the wish-granting gesture). The figure is elaborately adorned with a luxuriant sash that falls between his legs and he wears the sacred thread, a jeweled crown, a necklace with pendant jewels, armlets, bracelets and girdle. The dhoti is not delineated. The figure stands on a lotus pedestal, which is worked only at the front. A long prong protrudes from this base, once used to insert the object into a larger base.
This beautifully modeled piece is dated to the twelfth century on the basis of several features characteristic of early Nepali bronzes and stones, especially the naturalism of physiognomy and stance, the way the drapery falls in cascades of folds, and the manner of depicting the lotus as a stylized, frontal open bud, and the base, which is only complete 2/3 of the way around.
Condition: Old surface cleaning and lacquering on torso of figure and semiprecious stones missing from figure's right armlet and bracelet, necklace and crown, and stone is partially damaged at center of lotus blossom. Traces of gilding remain on surface. Piece arrives with its own base.
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is on view in Asian Galleries, Arts of the Himalayas, 2nd floor
CAPTION
Standing Padmapani, 12th–13th century. Bronze with traces of gold and inlay of semiprecious stones, 8 1/4 × 2 1/2 × 1 7/8 in. (21 × 6.4 × 4.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Georgia and Michael de Havenon, 77.198. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 77.198_front_PS11.jpg)
IMAGE
front, 77.198_front_PS11.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2015
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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