Avalokiteshvara, "Lord of Compassion" or "the (compassionate) Lord looking down" is the most popular bodhisattva in Northern (Mahayana) Buddhism. He is one of the eight great bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism. These have reached a very high level on the path to enlightenment (bodhi). In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is regarded as the embodiment of Avalokiteshvara, who can appear in 108 possible guises. Here he is depicted as Padmapani, literally "lotus bearer" in Sanskrit. In this form, he is holding a lotus in his hand. The Avalokiteshvara belongs to the group of Sino-Tibetan bronzes. Sino-Tibetan bronzes During the Qing dynasty in China (1644 - 1911), particularly under Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century, there was a growing interest in Tibetan Buddhism. Both in China and Mongolia, the production of Tibetan art began, with a unique, so-called Sino-Tibetan style (also known as Lamaist Qing style), without any sign of Indian influence. This style is characterised by special ornamentation in the decoration, e.g. draped cloth and bows.