In Boston, a Bodhisattva Who Assists Others in Their Journey

It seems absurd to marvel at a statue's immobility. But in a larger-than-life figure at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, stillness comes across as a deliberate action. Reinstalled in 2016 after undergoing conservation, the sculpture portrays the bodhisattva of compassion, an enlightened being known as Avalokitesvara in India, where Buddhism originated, and in China as Guanyin. He appears, bejeweled, sitting as though at water's edge with one leg dangling, the other drawn up, foot planted on the ground. Golden-skinned, he wears a crown, a red skirt that curls at the hem, and a green stole that encircles his shoulders and winds down his arms like a trailing vine. Originally surrounded by attendees, the sculpture now sits alone, the focal point in a dark-walled gallery showcasing works from China's artistically influential Song dynasty (960-1279).