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Unknown Maker, Chinese

Seated Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin)
Now On View

Description

Maker

Unknown Maker, Chinese

Culture

Chinese

Title

Seated Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin)

Period

Song Dynasty

Year

1100s-1400s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

bronze

Geography

Place Made: Dali Kingdom, probably Yunnan Province, Dali Kingdom, 937-1253 CE or later

Dimensions

69.5 x 31 x 30 cm (27 3/8 x 12 3/16 x 11 13/16 inches) (full size)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

18.266

Type

Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Asian Art Galleries
Jun 10, 2014

Label copy

Princely jewels, curved brows, defined cheeks, pursed lips, and a bare, slender torso mark this portrayal of the bodhisattva of mercy and compassion as made in the region now known as the Yunnan Province of southwestern China. The area was once the independent kingdom of Dali, founded and ruled by the Duan family, with Avalokitesvara, or Guanyin, serving as their protective deity.

Scientific analysis of the bronze has determined that this sculpture was made between 1100 and 1500. While the seated, almost casual pose relates to figures created by the Northern Song, the stylistic features and refined execution indicate that the sculpture was created in southwest China.

Chinese Treasures from the Permanent Collection
Mar 03, 1989 – Apr 23, 1989
Rockefeller Asian Art Gallery

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Chinese
Seated Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin), 1100s-1400s
Gilt bronze with traces of pigment
69.5 x 31 x 30 cm (27 3/8 x 12 3/16 x 11 13/16 inches) (full size)
Museum Appropriation Fund 18.266

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