Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara Statue 28" Item #7n62

In Buddhist legend, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara vowed to liberate all sentient beings from suffering but when he realized the magnitude of his task, his head exploded into countless pieces. His body was then re-assembled by Buddha Amitabha and Bodhisattva Vajrapani (also known as the wielder of the thunderbolt) into this omniscient form of Avalokiteshvara, with eleven heads and a thousand arms. Each of Avalokiteshvara's hands displays an all-seeing eye, symbolizing the union of wisdom and skillful means.  The first two hands hold a wish-fulfilling gem, a symbol of the deepest powers of the human psyche.  The next five hold a lotus, a bow, a vase, a buddhist rosary (malas), and a wheel. The eighth hand (lower right) is in the varada mudra also known as the gesture of generosity and charity.

Avalokiteshvara's multiple tiers of heads are crowned by the fierce face of Vajrapani and at the very top the face of Amitabha, symbols of uncompromising compassion and the boundless light of the awakened mind.

Avalokiteshvara's Mantra "Om Mane Padme Hum" is found inscribed on rocks, temples and prayer wheels throughout the Himalayas and southeast Asia.

This piece is made of copper, there are 3 separate parts: the main body, the base and the arch.  The right and left arms are loosely attached to the body and thus can be removed. The back/arch of the piece was made using a process called repoussé, the process of ornamenting metallic surfaces with designs in relief hammered out from the back by hand.