(SOLD) 1000 Armed Chenrezig Copper Statue 15" Item #7n64

In Buddhist legend, the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara vowed to liberate all sentient beings from suffering but when he realized the magnitude of his task, his head exploded into countless pieces.  His body was then re-assembled by the Buddha Amitabha and the Bodhisattva Vajrapani (also known as the wielder of the thunderbolt) into this omniscient form of Avalokiteshvara, with eleven heads and a thousand arms.  Each of Avalokiteshvara's hands displays an all-seeing eye, symbolizing the union of wisdom and skillful means.  The first two hands hold a wish-fulfilling gem, a symbol of the deepest powers of the human psyche.  The next five hold a lotus, a bow, a vase, a buddhist rosary (malas), and a wheel.  The eighth hand (lower right) is in the varada mudra also known as the gesture of generosity and charity.

Avalokiteshvara's multiple tiers of heads are crowned by the fierce face of Vajrapani and at the very top the face of Amitabha, symbols of uncompromising compassion and the boundless light of the awakened mind.

Avalokiteshvara's Mantra "Om Mane Padme Hum" is found inscribed on rocks, temples and prayer wheels throughout the Himalayas and southeast Asia.

This piece is made of copper inlaid with turquoise and coral.
There are 2 separate parts: the main body and the arch. The back/arch of the piece was made using a process called repoussé, the process of ornamenting metallic surfaces with designs in relief hammered out from the back by hand.