Unique national treasure Avalokitesvara statue in Bac Binh

Among the 33 artifacts that have just been recognized as national treasures, Binh Thuan province has one treasure, which is the Avalokitesvara Bac Binh statue dating from the 8th - 9th century.

According to Binh Thuan Provincial Museum, in September 2001, Museum staff received information that people in Hong Chinh village, Hoa Thang commune, Bac Binh district discovered a Buddha statue with a strange shape.

Approaching the artifact, local people said the statue was discovered during farming in Thanh Kiet village, Phan Thanh commune, Bac Binh district, before 1945.

In 1996, the statue was buried in the garden of a local resident. In 2001, Mr. Ngo Hieu Hoc discovered the statue while digging the foundation to build a gate pillar and handed it over to the Binh Thuan Provincial Museum.

Statue of Avalokitesvara Bac Binh. Photo: Binh Thuan Museum

This statue is of Avalokitesvara – the Bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of Buddha. Avalokiteshvara is one of the most widely revered Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism.

The Avalokitesvara statue of Bac Binh is a Cham cultural artifact, crafted from fine-grained sandstone (small-grained granite) in dark gray color, 61cm high, weighing 13kg, a unique original artifact dating from the 8th - 9th century, currently kept at the Binh Thuan Provincial Museum.

The statue stands on a pedestal with an arched back. From a single slab of sandstone, each line and skillful carving technique on the stone reaches the pinnacle of plastic art with symmetry and harmony.

The head of the statue has a high bun, on top is a multi-layered pyramid hat, the front is embossed with a clear sitting Buddha statue, it is an ancient statue of Amitabha Buddha sitting in meditation.

The statue has four arms: the upper right hand holds a rosary, the upper left hand holds a book. The two lower arms are extended forward, the left hand holds a bottle of nectar, the left hand is missing, and the two ears are large and long. The ancient artisans have painstakingly carved many detailed decorative elements to depict the Buddha's mysterious energy.

Experts say that the Avalokitesvara statue in Bac Binh represents the art of sculpture and religious architecture of the southern part (Kauthara region) in the Champa cultural space.

This is the product of the convergence of exogenous and endogenous elements, from stone carving techniques, plastic arts to religious philosophy, creating a product that both meets the needs of worship and brings very high aesthetic value to the object, solemnity in a balanced overall composition without losing the soft and lively lines, which is one of the outstanding characteristics of Champa plastic arts.

Thus, up to now, Binh Thuan province has 2 national treasures. In addition to the Avalokitesvara statue in Bac Binh, the previously recognized national treasure is the golden Linga discovered during an archaeological excavation at Po Dam tower in Phu Lac commune, Tuy Phong district.

T.Toan

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/chiem-nguong-bao-vat-quoc-gia-tuong-avalokitesvara-bac-binh-post328864.html