A gilt-bronze figure of a bodhisattva, Sui / Tang dynasty

Swedish Private Collection, acquired in the 1950s.

This sensitively cast figure depicts the bodhisattva standing on a hollow lotus base on an octagonal plinth, wearing an elaborate long trailing shawl and a dhoti tied with a sash. The slender body, held in an erect yet graceful pose, exemplifies the essence of Sui sculptural style, and bears only the slightest hint of the more sensuous forms to follow in the Tang dynasty in its subtle hip movement.

While the identity of the present figure is rendered uncertain by the lack of attributes, it nonetheless bears a close resemblance to a number of figures identified with the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin) who was a frequent subject of personal devotional images during the period.