Shrine of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara with attendants

Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, emerges from the central shrine in this exuberantly decorated plaque. His body is made of semiprecious gems, as are those of the attendants to his right and left. At the top of the shrine, the Hindu deity Vishnu rides his magical bird Garuda; a pair of snake deities flanks them. Shrines of this type reveal the central deities emerging from two dimensions into three. Stylized mountains below the shrine add to the sense of receding space.

This jeweled shrine demonstrates the Nepalese love of ornamentation. Hundreds of turquoise and other semiprecious stones decorate this altar piece, which shows a combination of filigree, repoussé, and inlay techniques.