Item: Avalokiteshvara (Bodhisattva & Buddhist Deity)

Avalokiteshvara Riding a Cow: In the right hand he holds a garland of beads across the knee. In the left hand he holds a flower blossom. In a relaxed posture Avalokita sits on the back of a cow - also depicted as if resting atop a grassy knoll. This sculpture was created by the 10th Karmapa, Choying Dorje based on a night time dream. There is no Indian or Tibetan textual model for this form of Avalokiteshvara. It is simply the creation of a work based on the inspiration of a dream.

Jeff Watt 1-2012