Galerie Martynoff Paris Sculptures and Carvings

This beautiful sculpture realized in China in the 18th century depicts Guanyin, a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. The female form holds a pot in her hands. She appears draped...

A wonderful Tibetan bronze seated buddha on a lotus pedestal from the 19th century. This buddha features a lovely age related patina as well as rich detailing.

Pair of Chinese bronze figures of deities standing on dragons. The two sculptures were made in the 20th century. They represent the Tao gods Lu Xing and Fu Xin...

An exceptional Japanese Meiji bronze sculpture of a man and water buffalo on a natural polished oak stand by renowned Japanese master craftsman Genryusai Seiya and dating from around 1880/90. The large bronze depicts an elderly man holding a pipe and tobacco pouch...

A sublime Chinese carved boxwood figure of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara, called Guanyin in Chinese, mid-Qing dynasty. The an...

A massive larger than life terracotta buddha bust of Guan Yin, China, early 20th century. Broken and restored with wear and tear from enduring exposure to the elements. Size: 75 cm high. Weight: 40 kg. Guanyin, Kwanyin, Guanshiyin or Guanyin Pusa is the Chinese interpretation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (the goddess of comfort and mercy). In addition, she is seen in Taoism as an immortal. The scripture dedicated to her is Dabeizhou. Guanyin is the goddess of compassion and the sea. She is one of the three saints of the western paradise, along with Mahasthamaprapta and Amitabha Buddha; they are worshiped to save departed loved ones from hell and grant them entrance to the western paradise. Guanyin Chinese name Traditional Chinese 觀音 Simplified Chinese 观音 Transcriptions Full Chinese name Traditional Chinese 觀世音 Simplified Chinese 观世音 Literal meaning "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World" Transcriptions Second alternative Chinese name Traditional Chinese 觀自在 Simplified Chinese 观自在 Literal meaning "Lord who Gazes down on the World" Transcriptions Burmese name Burmese ကွမ်ယင် IPA [kwàɴ jɪ̀ɴ] Tibetan name Tibetan སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས Vietnamese name Vietnamese alphabet Quan Âm (Quán Âm) Quán Thế Âm (Quan Thế Âm) Quán Tự Tại Chữ Hán 觀音 觀世音 觀自在 Thai name Thai กวนอิม, พระอวโลกิเตศวรโพธิสัตว์ RTGS Kuan Im, Phra Avalokitesuan Korean name Hangul 관음, 관세음, 관자재 Hanja 觀音, 觀世音, 觀自在 Transcriptions Mongolian name Mongolian script ᠨᠢᠳᠦ ᠪᠡᠷ ᠦᠵᠡᠭᠴᠢ Japanese name Kanji 観音, 観世音, 観自在 Hiragana かんのん, かんぜおん, かんじざい Transcriptions Indonesian name Indonesian Kwan Im, Kwan She Im, Awalokiteswara Filipino name Tagalog Guanyin (ᜄᜓᜀᜈᜌᜒᜈ) Sanskrit name Sanskrit अवलोकितेश्वर (Avalokiteśvara) Khmer name Khmer អវលោកិតេស្វរៈ (Avalokitesvarak), អវលោកេស្វរៈ (Avalokesvarak), លោកេស្វរៈ (Lokesvarak) Hmong name Hmong Kabyeeb, Niam-Txiv Kabyeeb, Dabpog, Niam-Txiv Dabpog Guanyin (traditional Chinese: 觀音; simplified Chinese: 观音; pinyin: Guānyīn) is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion.[note 1] She was first given the appellation "Goddess of Mercy" or "Mercy Goddess" by Jesuit missionaries in China.[1] Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World."[2] On the 19th day of the sixth lunar month, Guanyin's attainment of Buddhahood is celebrated.[3] Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus, and then sent to the western pure land of Sukhāvatī.[4] Guanyin is often referred to as the "most widely beloved Buddhist Divinity"[5] with miraculous powers to assist all those who pray to her, as is mentioned in the Pumen chapter of Lotus Sutra and Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra. Several large temples in East Asia are dedicated to Guanyin, including Shaolin Monastery, Longxing Temple, Puning Temple, Nanhai Guanyin Temple, Dharma Drum Mountain, Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, Shitennō-ji, Sensō-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Sanjūsangen-dō, and many others. Guanyin's abode and bodhimaṇḍa in India is recorded as being on Mount Potalaka. With the localization of the belief in Guanyin, each area adopted their own Potalaka. In Chinese Buddhism, Mount Putuo is considered the bodhimaṇḍa of Guanyin. Naksansa is considered to be the Potalaka of Guanyin in Korea. Japan's Potalaka is located at Fudarakusan-ji. Tibet's Potalaka is the Potala Palace. Vietnam's Potalaka is the Hương Temple. There are several pilgrimage centers for Guanyin in East Asia. Putuoshan is the main pilgrimage site in China. There is a 33 temple Guanyin pilgrimage in Korea which includes Naksansa. In Japan, there are several pilgrimages associated with Guanyin. The oldest one of them is the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, a pilgrimage through 33 temples with Guanyin shrines. Guanyin is beloved by most Buddhist traditions in a nondenominational way and found in most Tibetan temples under the name Chenrézik (Wylie: Spyan ras gzigs). Guanyin is also beloved and worshipped in the temples in Nepal. The Hiranya Varna Mahavihar located in Patan is one example. Guanyin is also found in some influential Theravada temples such as Gangaramaya Temple, Kelaniya and Natha Devale nearby Temple of the Tooth...

A beautiful late 19th century paint bowl with a lid that was once used for storing the famous Tibetan barley flour (Tsampa). These bowls were used by the Buddhist mountain people of ...

A heavy and well cast South Indian bronze figure of Shiva Nataraja, or Shiva as Lord of the Dance, in the Chola style, late 19th or early 20th century, India. Shiva is portrayed here in his form as Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance. An iconic and powerful image, Shiva is portrayed engaged in his dance of creation, protection, and destruction, bringing together all his aspects into one sublime form. Shiva dances ecstatically, facing the viewer with his body twisted, his long locks of hair streaming out around him, his four arms in action, with one leg raised, the other stomping on the dwarf demon Apasmara, who represents spiritual ignorance. In one hand he holds a damaru, or ritual drum...

19th Century sculpture of Guan Yu (??), a guardian deity. Guan Yu (d. A.D. 219), a warrior of the late Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 220) renowned for his valo...

A heavy and solidly cast, richly gilt, bronze caryatid figure from Densatil Monastery, Central Tibet, early 15th century or earlier. Cast in the form of two four armed figures standing back to back in tribhanga (thrice bent position) on a lotus platform, this piece would originally have served as a pillar for a larger seated deity...

Presenting a lovely antique Indian Dhokra horse and rider sculpture. Probably from the late 19th or early 20th century as is evidenced by its natural patina and clear evidence of age. It depicts an Indian Warrior with a sword in his right hand mounted on his horse/steed. The warrior is in classical and ancient Southeast Asian Indian attire and he holds the horse’s reins in his left hand. The body of the horse is a series of lines (in the Classic Dhokra Style) and it has a tribal headdress...

A well cast pair of Japanese mixed metal okimono figures of Buddhist guardians, known as Nio or Dharmapala, protectors of Buddhist faith, Meiji Period, Japan. The smiling bronze g...