Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
The Himalayas and South-East Asia, Room 47a

Figure

Late 7th century-8th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Gandraprabha or Chandraprabha Lokesvara is a form of the supreme Buddhist saviour, the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. In this rare form he is shown as a personification of the moon or Chandra, whose symbol of the hare is shown in his nimbus. The style of the figure, with distinctive square shoulders and narrow waist, relates closely to stone sculptures at the Dvaravati period site of Si T'ep, in Petchaburi Province.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Gold repousse
Brief description
Candra Lokesvara, personification of the moon, Gold repousse, Si T'ep style, late 7th-8th century,Thailand
Physical description
Candra Lokesvara is a form of the supreme Buddhist saviour, the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. In this form he is seen as a planet god, the personification of the moon. The hare in the deity's nimbus (the moon) is referred to in the Buddhist letrature, but is rarely represented iconographically. The style of the figure is distinctive: square shoulders, a slender waist and narrow hips, set in a gently flexed posture. Both hands are raised, one in the gesture of exposition (vitarkamudra), the other obscured by damage. This style relates most closely to stone sculptures of the Dvaravati site of Si T'ep, in Petchabun Province.
Dimensions
  • Height: 10cm
  • Width: 4.5cm
Object history
Bought from Spink & Son. Probably found in Si Thep, Petchabun province.
Production
Thailand
Subject depicted
Summary
Gandraprabha or Chandraprabha Lokesvara is a form of the supreme Buddhist saviour, the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. In this rare form he is shown as a personification of the moon or Chandra, whose symbol of the hare is shown in his nimbus. The style of the figure, with distinctive square shoulders and narrow waist, relates closely to stone sculptures at the Dvaravati period site of Si T'ep, in Petchaburi Province.
Bibliographic reference
Lost Kingdoms : Hindu-Buddhist sculpture of early Southeast Asia / John Guy ; with essays by Pierre Baptiste, Lawrence Becker, Bérénice Bellina, Robert L. Brown, Federico Carò, Pattaratorn Chirapravati, Janet G. Douglas, Arlo Griffiths, Agustijanto Indradjaya, Le Thi Lien, Pierre-Yves Manguin, Stephen A. Murphy, Ariel O'Connor, Peter Skilling, Janice Stargardt, Donna Strahan, U Thein Lwin, Geoff Wade, U Win Kyaing, Hiram Woodward, and Thierry Zéphir. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Costume Institute), c2014 Number: 9781588395245 (MMA), 1588395243 (MMA), 9780300204377 (Yale), 030020437X (Yale), 9786167339481, 6167339481 pp.243-44, cat. no. 149, ill.
Collection
Accession number
IS.27-1987

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Record createdJuly 31, 2003
Record URL
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