Standing Avalokitesvara, Korea, Unified Silla period (668-935), 8th century. Gilt-bronze. Overall: 18.5 x 6.5 x 4.5 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1998.80.

Created during the Unified Silla period, a high point of the spread of Buddhist teachings, this kind of miniature gilt-bronze statue was often used as a portable object of devotion by traveling Buddhist monks.

This small gilt-bronze statue represents the Bodhisattva of Compassion (관음보살 in Korean), an enlightened being who helps devotees on their path. It features two prominent attributes: a water sprinkler (kundika in Sanskrit) and a miniature image of Buddha Amitābha in its jeweled crown. Its sweet and gentle smile accentuates this celestial being’s immeasurable compassion for human suffering.