Bodhisattva

This image, like the larger one next to it, lacks its right hand. In both instances, the smoothness of the stub of the forearm and the presence of holes or grooves suggest that the hands were carved from separate pieces of stone and pinned or clamped in place.

The loss of the hands—and whatever they may have held—makes it difficult to identify which bodhisattva is represented here. The looping hairstyle and the mustache are, however, usually associated with the bodhisattva Maitreya. The facial features, including a strong, slightly dimpled chin, and the definition of the chest muscles recall Greco-Roman sculpture.