Bodhisattva of Compassion, Guanyin
China
(Jin dynasty (1115-1234))
Bodhisattva of Compassion, Guanyin
DateJin dynasty (1115-1234)
Mediumwood with polychrome
Dimensionsobject: 64 1/2 x 18 x 15 in.
ClassificationSCULPTURE
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Wright S. Ludington in memory of Charles Henry Ludington
Object number1983.27.11
Subject(s)
- Buddhism
- religion
- figure
Collection
- Asian
Sub-Collection(s)
- Chinese
On View
On viewCollections
Label TextGuanyin, literally "He Who Observes the Sounds of the World”, or Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit, is the Bodhisattva of Compassion who answers all prayers and protects the faithful from calamities. He is identified by the small figure of Amitabha Buddha in his headdress. He was originally one of the two attending Bodhisattvas flanking a central seated Buddha in a temple. This figure and the Seated Guanyin in this gallery are two of the few surviving wooden sculptures from the 12th and 13th centuries, a time when the growing popularity of Buddhism led to more humanized portrayals of deities.
China
Qing dynasty, 18th century
