Attendant to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin) in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, April 2009

Attendant to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin)
Jin (1115-1234) - Yuan (1272-1368) dynasty, 13th-14th century
Wood with gesso and pigment

Accession # 42.25.6

Sculptures of young boys standing with their hands in a gesture of reverence often represent a young pilgrim named Sudhana (Shancai) who traveled throughout South and Southeast Asia studying with learned masters and celestial bodhisattvas in his quest for religious development. In China, Sudhana is often shown as an attendant to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, whom he visited during his journeys.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.