ART & DESIGN AESTHETICS

PRESENTATION ON
BODHISATTAVAS AVALOKITESHVARA
(SCULPTURE FROM CHINA)
 HISTORY
“Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have put off entering
paradise in order to help others attain enlightenment. There are many
different Bodhisattvas, but the most famous in China is
Avalokitesvara, known in Chinese as Guanyin.

 The original meaning of the

name "Avalokitasvara" fits the
Buddhist understanding of the
role of a bodhisattva.

The Avalokiteshvara-
sutra was incorporated into
the widely popular Lotus
sutra, in the 3rd century C.E,
though it continued to
circulate as an independent
work in China.
  The Lotus sutra  describes Avalokitesvara as a
bodhisattva who can take the form of any type of God
including Indra or Brahmaa; any type of Buddha, any type
of King ,etc

The worship of Guanyin in China began around the fifth or

sixth century.

The term bodhisattva was primarily used to refer

specifically to Gautama Buddha in his former life.

The popularity of Avalokitesvara is due to the personification

of karuna (compassion) and prajna (wisdom). While wisdom
makes the Bodhisattva close to the human minds, compassion
makes him/her close to the human hearts.
 The Sanskrit name "Avalokiteshvara" is interpreted many
ways -- "The One Who Hears the Cries of the World"; "The
Lord Who Looks Down"; "The Lord Who Looks in Every
Direction."
In China, Guanyin is believed to hear the sorrows of
humanity. The worship of Guanyin in China began around the
fifth or sixth century.

He/she has acquired a status equal to the Buddha and sometimes his
importance surpasses even the Buddha's. The Westerners know the
deity as the Chinese goddess of love and compassion. If Buddhism
has been the greatest contribution of India to world religions, the
transformation of Indian Avalokitesvara to Guanyin-the Goddess of
Mercy -is the creation and contribution of China to the Buddhist
world.
 MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES

1.WOOD-It is found in the stems and roots of trees and other

wood plants.

2.WILLOW-Any tree or shrubs of the genus salix characterized

by narrow.

3.COPPER ALLOY-It is a type of bronze used for sculpture.

4.METAL-It is typically hard .shiny material

5.FOXGLOVE-TREE-A deciduous tree native to western

china.

6.SANDALWOOD-It is used for wood carving.

 CONSTRUCTION
TECHNIQUE

In terms of construction techniques, two main methods are revealed by X-

ray radiography: singleblock carvings and composites of multiple blocks,
depending on the posture of the figure. Standing sculptures were carved
from a single log, while seated images all have a massive central block as
the base, with additional blocks joined together with tenons, dowels, and
glue, before contours and details were carved out. Nevertheless, there seem
to have been no standardized techniques in China for assembling blocks,
and the number of blocks used was determined by the width of the central
piece .
THANK YOU