Bodhisattva in "Thrice Bent" Pose (Tribhanga)

This gilt copper alloy figure from around 600 CE shows a bodhisattva in the tribhanga pose, meaning "three parts break." The body bends at the neck, waist, and knee, creating an elegant S-curve. In Buddhist art, this pose conveys grace and compassion, suggesting the bodhisattva's ease in the physical world while maintaining spiritual transcendence. A bodhisattva is an enlightened being who delays entering nirvana to help others achieve liberation from suffering.

The gilt surface gave the figure a golden radiance associated with spiritual enlightenment, while the copper alloy core allowed detailed casting using the lost-wax method. This was more practical and affordable than solid gold. Based on the date and materials, it was likely created in the Greater Kashmir region (possibly the Swat Valley in modern Pakistan) or in China during the Sui or early Tang dynasty, both major centers for Buddhist art. The piece is at the Art Institute of Chicago.