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Seated Guanyin Bodisvattva
Song dynasty, 960– 79
Carved wood with traces of color; 431/4 x 411/2 x ~41/4 in.
Ella M. Hirsch Fund
38.52

Guanyin had already become the most popular ofall the many deities in the Mahayana pantheon very early in the history of Chinese Buddhism. Since no other bodhisattva better exemplified the qualities of compassion associated with these beings, Guanyin’s intercession was repeatedly invoked by those in distress or danger. Though early depictions of the deity had been essentially male in character, by the twelfth century this concentration on the bodhisattva’s merciful nature had led to its almost universal depiction as a woman. Here Guanyin’s feminine characteristics, though evident, are not as pronounced as they would later become.

Sitting with her right arm resting lightly on her raised right knee, in a relaxed pose known in Buddhist iconography as the Posture of Royal Ease, she presents a dignified but approachable figure. Her left arm (which un doubtedly once held some attribute, perhaps a jar) seems to be reaching out to those who approach her. Though only vestiges of color remain, originally the entire surface of the sculpture was painted, endow- ing the figure with a convincing realism that was further enhanced by the inset glass eyes. Originally, too, the figure was represented as seated on a shelf of rock, a remnant of which can be seen in the black “outcropping” supporting the bodhisattva's left arm. The sculpture has suffered considerable damage: Large sections of the base have disappeared, and both the jewel in the figure’s forehead and the small image of Amitabha Buddha at the front of its crown are missing. The balance and formality of the figure’s pose, the calm but somewhat austere expression on its face, and the simplicity of its sash suggest that it dates from the first half of the twelfth century.