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Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara)

A work made of gilt bronze.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of gilt bronze.

Date:

Yuan/early Ming dynasty

Artist:

China

About this artwork

In its willowy proportions, as well as facial features and dress, this image exemplifies the Chinese manifestation of the princely Indian deity Avalokitesvara as the distinctively feminine Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin). Her necklaces of symmetrical loops and pendants closely resemble those of richly adorned images dating to the late 14th century, which spanned the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1279 1368) and China’s return to native rule under the Ming (1368 1644).

This image originally contained a strip of paper inscribed in Tibetan with Sanskrit mantras (ritual chants). Although both Yuan and Ming elites maintained close relations with Tibet, the presence of this sacred record in an elegantly secularized figure is unusual.

Status

On View, Gallery 101A

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara)

Place

China (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1350–1400

Medium

Gilt bronze

Dimensions

35.6 × 15.7 × 8.1 cm (14 × 6 1/8 × 3 3/16 in.)

Credit Line

Lucy Maud Buckingham Collection

Reference Number

1926.282a

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/28158/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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