Bodhisattva

Tang (China) · 3F · Sculpture and Crafts · Buddhist Sculpture

Found in Dunhuang, this type of hanging streamer is called a beon (Sanskrit: pataka). In Buddhism a banner is a decorative offering expressing the majestic virtue of a bodhisattva, hung from temple pillars or canopies or outside the hall. The bodhisattva depicted on it holds the banner's pole in the left hand and forms the welcoming mudra with the thumb and index finger of the right hand before the chest; it is thought to date to the 10th century, during the Five Dynasties period. Similar banners are held by the Musée Guimet in France and the British Museum in England.

See it in person at the National Museum of Korea — 3F · Sculpture and Crafts · Buddhist Sculpture

Source: based on official e-museum records (National Museum of Korea).