512 - A SEATED BRONZE GUANYIN CHINA 16TH CENTURY

A SEATED BRONZE GUANYIN CHINA 16TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 13 cm Wide 6 cm Depth 6 cm Weight: 339 grams A compact bronze image of Guanyin seated frontally on a raised lotus throne. The bodhisattva wears layered robes and a tall headdress, the right hand raised in a gentle gesture of teaching or reassurance while the left rests across the lap. The softly modelled face, elongated earlobes and carefully arranged drapery create a calm devotional presence, contrasted by the more vigorously modelled lotus petals and small guardian figures at the base. Guanyin, the Chinese manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, is the bodhisattva of compassion and one of the most widely venerated figures in East Asian Buddhism. Small bronzes such as this were well suited to personal or temple devotion, concentrating a complex sacred image into an intimate scale. The warm brown surface is enlivened by areas of green oxidation and wear to the raised details, enhancing the depth of the modelling.