Chinese Dehua figure of Guanyin and her attendants, Kangxi (1662-1722)
Chinese Dehua figure of Guanyin and her attendants, Kangxi (1662-1722)
POA
Description
Chinese Blanc de Chine figure of Guanyin and her attendants, Kangxi (1662-1722), the bodhisattva seated upon a rockwork base with a child on her lap, attended by two acolytes at her feet with a pair of writhing dragons and blooming lotus inbetween; her bare left foot visible at the hem of her flowing mantle, with a lotus head to her chest, elongated earlobes and a tall chignon with a mantle and crown containing a miniature image of the Amitabha buddha
Dimensions:
Height: 37.8cm. (14 7/8in.)
Condition:
Child in lap missing hands, tiny chips, some restoration
Notes:
The Chinese manifestation of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is known as ‘Guanyin’, an abbreviation of ‘Guanshiuin’, which roughly translates to ‘[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World’. She is often depicted with a child, as seen here. Jesuit missionaries, upon arriving in China, were impressed by the obvious visual links between Guanyin and the Madonna of Christianity, but it is important to remember that the ‘Child-Giving Guanyin’ (sung-tzu) is a iconographic variation of the deity which originated in China. This association of Guanyin with the production of male heirs gained popularity in China from the 15th century and refers to the ‘Universal Gateway’ chapter of the Lotus Sutra.
| item details | |
|---|---|
| Material and Technique | Blanc de chine porcelain |
| Origin | Chinese |
| Period | 18th Century |
| Condition | Other |
| Dimensions | Height: 37.8cm. (14 7/8in.) |
Product REF: U809
