Eleven-Headed Avalokiteshvara: Bodhisattva of Universal Salvation

A gilt bronze figure of eleven-headed avalokiteshvara, 18th century or later, cast standing on a double lotus base with eight arms and eleven heads arranged in four tiers, the principle hands in anjalimudra, the others fanned out, one holding a lotus flower, another a rosary, dressed in a long dhoti with fluttering scarves and beaded jewellery, 21.06 in. high. The eleven headed Avalokiteshvara is an esoteric form of the bodhisattva, believed to have overcome eleven hardships in order to attain Buddhahood. Another explanation is that Avalokiteshvara fails to fulfill his vow of saving all sentient souls from hell and his head splits into one hundred pieces, Amitabha Buddha gathered up the pieces and consolidated them into ten heads, crowning them with one of his own to show that Amitabha is always there to aid him in his goal of universal salvation.

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Tier - One or more under-shelves of a table or cabinet.
Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.

The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.

It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Oriental deities, bronze
- Amitabha Tathagata 15
- Amitayus 45
- Avalokiteevara 22
- Bodhisattva 56
- Buddha 659