• Joseon Dynasty, 15th century
• Gilt bronze
• duk 801

This statue shows Avalokiteshvara seated in “royal-ease” pose with the right hand resting on the bent knee. The jeweled crown with a small Buddha image carved on its front and the glamorous ornaments add to the exotic appearance of the bodhisattva, attesting to the cross-cultural influences of Tibetan Buddhist art from Yuan and Ming China during the period between late Goryeo and early Joseon. The statue was cast in bronze and gilded upon the black lacquer layer applied to the bronze surface. A deposit of viscera objects, called bokjang, was discovered from the inside of the statue, and some of their wrappers were labeled, such as “five fragrances (o-hyang)” and “five medicines (o-yak)” written in the first invented form of Korean script.