Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Gwaneum bosal)

The inscription in the upper left corner reads: Possessing power divinely bestowed upon him In every direction, over the land of all nations He spreads wisdom and beneficence His living image stands in every temple. Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Gwaneum bosal) is the Buddhist deity of mercy and compassion who, in some traditions, transforms himself into thirty-three forms to save all beings from suffering. He also leads them to the Pure Land Paradise of the Buddha Amitabha. This white-robed bodhisattva stands on an open lotus flower holding a ritual ewer (water jug) in his right hand and looks down compassionately on suffering beings. As a painting subject, the white-robed bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is said to have originated in China and has been favored by Korean painters since the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392).