Seated Bodhisattva

This image of a bodhisattva sitting casually in a cross-legged position was once a shallow-relief wall carving gracing a cave temple in the famous Longmen grotto complex in China’s Henan province. The bodhisattva is in a pose referred to as pensive or contemplative, with fingers lightly touching a cheek and the head tilted as if lost in thought. The elongated figure and stylized pattern of drapery folds, which cascade over the edge of the seat, are both characteristic of Buddhist art of the Wei dynasties that ruled northern China in the 4th through 6th centuries. The Wei rulers sponsored the creation of spectacular cave shrines, with complex sculptural programs carved from the living rock.

The AMAM acquired this work in 1948 from the prominent art dealer C.T. Loo (Lú Qínzhāi 盧芹齋, 1880–1957), during a time when many historical works were removed from their original cultures and contexts to end up in museums in the West, a practice that today inspires questions and debates about cultural property. The AMAM acknowledges the problematic history of this work and is committed to open dialogue about its proper display and care.