Bodhisattva Amoghapasha Lokeshvara

This 15th-century painted wooden sculpture from the Kathmandu Valley stands over five feet tall, depicting Amoghapasha Lokeshvara, one of 108 forms of Avalokiteshvara (the Bodhisattva of Compassion). His name means "Unfailing Noose Lord of the World." The noose represents compassion that pulls sentient beings out of suffering toward enlightenment. He's one of the eight tutelary deities of the Kathmandu Valley and among the most important figures in Newar Buddhism.

Devotees worship him through the Ashtami Vrata ritual, performed on the eighth day of the bright half of each lunar month. The painted wood medium and large scale suggest this was a major temple commission. At 60 inches tall, it dominates a gallery space. It's at the Art Institute of Chicago, a gift from Marilynn B. Alsdorf.