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Collections

Unknown
The Bodhisattva Lokanathacirca late 18th century

On view:
Resnick Pavilion, floor 1
White marble sculpture of a seated crowned figure with crossed legs, holding an object, on a round base carved with arched niches
White marble sculpture of a seated deity in lalitasana pose on a lotus pedestal with carved petal border. Figure wears an ornate crown, jewelry, and armlets, with one hand raised holding an object. Finely incised surface details throughout.
Artist or Maker
Unknown
Title
The Bodhisattva Lokanatha
Place Made
Burma (Myanmar), Mandalay
Date Made
circa late 18th century
Medium
White marble
Dimensions
12 1/2 × 13 1/2 × 9 in. (31.75 × 34.29 × 22.86 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Louis R. Mosbrooker
Accession Number
AC1995.103.1
Classification
Sculpture
Collecting Area
South and Southeast Asian Art
Curatorial Notes

Lokanatha (Lord of the World) is a form of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. He is venerated as an embodiment of pure compassion for all sentient beings and eternal devotion to their liberation from suffering. In this form that is particularly popular in Burma, one of his functions is guard the faith until the appearance of the future Buddha, Maitreya. This sculpture reflects the stylistic shifts that began to appear in Burmese art around the 14th century, when earlier Indianized traditions gave way to more localized forms. The headdress, for instance, derives from the miter-like hat of the royal minister during the Konbaung period (752-1885) and the lateral ribbons resembling royal garb. He is seated on a lotus base in the kingly posture of royal ease (maharajalila asana) and carries a lotus in his left hand.


Selected Bibliography
  • Little, Stephen, Tushara Bindu Gude, Karina Romero Blanco, Silvia Seligson, Marco Antonio Karam. Las Huellas de Buda. Ciudad de México : Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, 2018.
  • Little, Stephen, and Tushara Bindu Gude. Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art across Asia. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2025.