349 - MARBLE GUANYIN CHINA 19TH CENTURY

MARBLE GUANYIN CHINA 19TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 5 cm Wide 3,5 cm Depth 1,5 cm Weight: 77 grams A small pale-marble figure of Guanyin seated informally on a rocky outcrop, the flowing robes falling in soft folds around the compact body. The serene face is framed by a hood-like headdress, while one hand rests near the raised knee and the other supports a rounded attribute. The reverse is more summarily worked, indicating that the carving was conceived primarily for frontal viewing. Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, was represented in many forms in late imperial China, from monumental temple images to intimate devotional carvings. At this small scale the relaxed posture and rocky support create a private, contemplative image well suited to a household shrine or scholar's setting. The marble has a smooth pale surface with subtle natural inclusions, light weathering and small edge losses. These irregularities contrast attractively with the gentle modelling of the face and drapery, giving the miniature sculpture a quiet tactile quality.