Dimensions: Height 50 cm Wide 16 cm Depth 8 cm without base

Weight: 6.006 grams with base

This sandstone sculpture represents Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, carved in an upright and serene stance. The figure is shown with a high jatāmukuṭa (matted hair crown), carefully arranged in vertical tiers, falling in long strands down the back. The broad chest, narrow waist, and softly rounded abdomen reflect the classical South and Southeast Asian ideal of divine beauty. Incised jewelry along the chest and a simple cord tied around the waist provide restrained ornamentation.

The Avalokiteshvara cult spread widely in Southeast Asia from the 6th to 8th centuries, carried through maritime trade and Buddhist missionary activity from India. Images like this, produced in early Dvaravati (Thailand) and Champa (Vietnam), reveal the strong stylistic influence of Indian Gupta and post-Gupta sculpture: idealized physiognomy, calm expression, and smooth planes of the body. Such figures would have been installed in Buddhist sanctuaries, serving as powerful icons of compassion and salvation, venerated by monastic communities and lay devotees alike.